Years Apart
by Em Kay Who
Summary: Ten years separated them in age. Twenty years would bring them together.
1. 5 and 15

**A/N: Hey guys! For those waiting for a Matchmaker update, I'm so sorry. For personal reasons, there won't be an update for that ****story this week. To make up for it though, I'm going to start posting this story I've had saved on my computer for ages. I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

**Trigger Warning: There is mention of fire and deaths resulting in that ****tragedy.**

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~Ages 5 and 15~

"Now remember, Donna's cousin Ian is going to be there. You probably won't see much of him, Sylvia says he's been staying in his room mostly, but if you do see him, you mustn't bug him. Alright, sweetheart?"

"But what if he wants to play with me and Donna, Mummy? It's not nice to esclude people," five year old Rose Tyler said matter of factly.

Mummy smiled lovingly at her. "That's right, love, it's not nice to exclude people, but Ian is going through a bit of a hard time right now. He's very sad and likes to be alone."

"Why is he sad, Mummy?"

"He just lost his family a couple of months ago."

Rose looked up with wide eyes. "He lost 'em?! Well, I'm a good finder, Mummy, I can help him find his family!"

"That's sweet of you, baby," Mummy said, bending down to kiss the top of her head, "but his family isn't actually lost. What I meant is, his family passed away."

"Oh. Like Daddy?" she asked. Her Daddy had died when she was just a little baby. She didn't remember him, but sometimes, Mummy would show her his picture and all his old bowling trophies!

Mummy nodded. "Yes, like Daddy."

"I'll make sure I'm extra good then, Mummy," she promised. "I don't want to make him even more sad." It was true. Being sad was the not fun. She knows that Mummy still gets real sad about not having Daddy anymore. Rose makes it her job it to cheer Mummy up when that happens. Maybe she could do the same for Ian!

"Right then. Best be going or I'll be late for work again."

Rose took Mum's hand and let herself be lead to their next door neighbour's house. She had spent almost every day of summer there so far and loved it. Mr and Mrs. Noble's only daughter, Donna, babysat her while Mummy was at work at the salon. Donna was such fun! She let Rose watch Disney movies and play dress up with her old fancy dress clothes. And, best of all, when Donna's mum was away at her book club, she would set up a blanket fort right in the middle of the sitting room! The best. She was going to be very sad when summer break was over.

Three hours later, and Rose had been the quietest she's ever been. She hadn't seen Donna's sad cousin at all, but while Donna read her new book she'd got for her birthday, Rose had spent her time drawing a picture just for Ian. Now that Donna was in the kitchen preparing this lunch, it was the perfect opportunity to sneak upstairs to the former guest room and deliver her special present! As quietly as she could, she snuck past Donna in the kitchen and carefully made her way up the stairs. The door to Ian's room was cracked open just enough that she caught the sight of the young teenage boy lying on his bed, eyes squeezed shut tightly. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him from his nap, so she tip toed into the room and gently set the picture on his tummy, where he was sure to find it.

She gasped in surprise when suddenly Ian suddenly grabbed her hand.

* * *

Ian Noble was numb. That was a good why to describe it. Fifteen years old and he was already numb towards life. He clenches his eyes shut and regrets it immediately. All he sees is fire. All he hears is his family's screams. It's just his imagination, he knows. He wasn't anywhere near his home when the fire started or his family burned to death, but it still haunts him. It would forever haunt him. He loved his Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Geoffrey dearly, and appreciated that they took him in when he had nowhere else to go, but he still wished he could have just got his own flat somewhere in the city. He has the money. He knows he does, but his parents had to go and make it so he couldn't access said money until he was bloody well twenty years old! Twenty! What on Earth were they thinking when they decided on that?

It was probably Harry. Ian shook his head at the thought of his older, more rebellious brother. His parents never discussed Harry's issues with him, but Ian could only imagine how much of Harry's inheritance had been wasted on drugs and booze. It had hurt to see his once beloved brother turn down that awful path. There was some comfort that the reason Harry had been home that fateful night was to make amends to his parents. According to that last letter he'd received from his mum, Harry had even agreed to seeking treatment for his addictions. He would never know now if it would have stuck or not, but he'd like to hope it would have.

Suddenly Ian's ears perked as he caught the sound of someone sneaking into his room. At first he thought it was his cousin Donna, coming to try and convince him to eat something. When would she learn? He would eat when he was hungry! But then he realised the footsteps were much lighter than Donna's. He'd just felt something settle on his stomach when grabbed the offender's hand and opened his eyes.

He was oddly surprised when he realised it was a young blonde girl, no older than five. He vaguely recalled someone mentioning that Donna babysat during the days, but he couldn't remember any details. She was obviously frightened at being caught, so he put on, what he hoped, was a pleasant smile.

"Hello," he greeted.

She blinked and offered a small smile in return. "Hi."

"What's you're name then?"

"Rose."

His lip quirked. Rose. The name fit her perfectly for reasons he couldn't name. "Nice to meet you, Rose. Can I help you with something?"

"I was just bringing you that picture. I'm not supposed to bug you, but I just wanted to help," she told him, bitting her bottom lip nervously.

Ian looked awkwardly down at his stomach and realised there was a white sheet of paper resting on it. Letting go of Rose's hand, he pulled himself so he was sitting up against the headboard. Flipping the paper over revealed an expertly drawn picture of the night sky. "You drew this?"

Rose fidgeted with her shirt. "Yes," she admitted.

"That's brilliant! You're exceptionally talented, Rose! But why did you draw this for me?"

"I know you're sad cause your family's not alive anymore. When Mummy's sad, I draw her a picture. I just wanted to make you not sad anymore. Did it work?"

Ian felt a lump rise in his throat at her declaration. She was so sincere and she didn't even know him. "Oh, Rose."

"I've made you more sad," she cried, seeing the tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry!"

"No, no, no! These aren't sad tears. These are tears of appreciation."

"So you're not sad anymore?"

"Well," he began carefully, not wanting to hurt her feelings, "I'm still sad, and I probably will be for a long time, but your picture has definitely helped make me feel better."

She nodded. "Okay. My Daddy died too," she added quietly. "I can't remember him though. I was just a baby."

"How did he die?" Ian asked, surprised with himself. She was only a little kid, he really shouldn't be discussing this with her, but there was something comforting about her presence."

Rose hoisted herself up on the bed as she answered. "He was hit by a car. How did your family die?"

He stared at the wall behind her. "There was a fire, right before summer break. I was away in a study abroad program and right before I was set to come home, they all died. My mum, my dad, and my brother. I'm all alone." He felt a small hand slip into his.

"There's me."

She meant it, he realised. This little girl, who he knew next to nothing about, genuinely meant it. "Yeah?" he choked out.

Rose nodded enthusiastically. "Mmhmm. I'm a really great friend."

"I bet you are. So, you like the stars?"

"Oh, yes! Sometimes when Mr. Wilf comes over, he'll let me look through his telescope. Wait! Is Mr. Wilf your granddad too?"

Ian chuckled. "Nah, he's my Aunt Sylvia's dad. My dad was my Uncle Geoffrey's brother."

"Oooh. I bet he would still let you look at the telescope though," she told him sweetly.

He smiled. "I imagine so. He's always been very kind to me."

"Rose Tyler, where have you run off to?!" Donna's voice shouted from the hall. "Oh, god, Ian, I'm so sorry!" she said, appearing in his door way.

Ian shook his head. "Donna-"

"I swear, she's normally so good!"

"Donna-"

"And she's gone and upset you!" his cousin noted, seeing the sheen in his eyes.

"Oi!" he finally shouted, causing both a frightened looking Rose and a frazzled Donna, to jump. "Relax. Rose was just giving me a picture she drew to make me feel better."

His older cousin deflated and bent down to Rose's level. "That's was sweet of you, Rose, but your mum told me this morning that she specifically told you not to bother Ian."

Rose sighed. "But I wasn't! I just wanted to help him not be sad anymore."

"It's fine, Donna. She didn't do anything wrong," he responded.

"Okay, okay," she gave in, "but now it's lunch time, Little Miss, so get on downstairs."

The little blonde girl looked hopefully at Ian. "Are you going to come eat too?"

Ian looked hesitantly at Donna who merely quirked an eyebrow. "I... I don't know. I'm not that hungry."

"But we're having my favorite! Chips and cheesy noodles!"

"Chips and cheesy noodles, huh?"

"Yep! Come on, Ian! Mummy says we'll get tummy aches if we don't eat lunch."

Ian took a deep breath, releasing it slowly, before heaving himself off the bed. "Well, who am I to argue with a mum?"

"Usually the first," Donna muttered under her breath. Ian shot her a glare, but saw the pleased look on her face. This was the first time he had voluntarily chosen to eat anything.

All it took was a little blonde girl who seemed to have him instantly wrapped around her finger.

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_**Thoughts? **_**xoxo**


	2. 7 and 17

**A/N: The response to the first chapter was lovely. Thank you to everyone following, to those who have favourited, and to everyone who took the time to ****review. I adore you all!**

**Special thanks to Ashlanielle for her constant encouragement. She's the best. Go read her stories!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

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~ 7 and 17 ~

It had been two years since Ian since had moved in with his aunt and uncle. Two years since he'd lost everything that mattered most to him. It had been a difficult time, but after two years, Ian liked to think had some what adjusted to this new life. He still had nightmares and the occasional bout with depression, but overall, the melancholy had lessoned considerably. He had his Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Geoffrey who, while not his parents, were loving and there for him (though in all honesty, his Aunt Sylvia could afford to loosen up a bit). He also had his cousin Donna. They'd always gotten along as children, but it had really been in the past two years that they had formed a bond closer to brother and sister than that of cousins. Then there was the person who had probably made the biggest impact in the past two years.

Rose.

For someone ten years his junior Ian had learned so much from her. Seeing the world through her eyes was refreshing. Little Rose saw the absolute best in every person she came across and with her bright tongue in teeth grin, was able to make everybody fall in love with her. While Donna was still Rose's official after school/summer babysitter, Ian was always around and even filled in as caretaker on the days Donna was unable to watch the little girl. Some would find it odd when Ian said a seven year old little blonde girl was his best friend, but she truly was. On his bad days, she always knew what to say to cheer him up, and on his really bad days, she knew that all he really needed was someone to sit quietly with him.

It was nearing the end of summer holidays and, knowing Rose would be returning to school soon, Ian was making plans for some surprise adventures for her. Their adventures had started one day, around a year and half ago, when Rose, Donna, and Ian were incredibly bored. They'd exhausted all their activities at home and were at a loss as to what to do. Rose was even sick of drawing, which was a rare occurrence for the young girl. Finally, Ian hopped to his feet and declared "no more" before taking charge and leading them on a grand adventure through Chiswick. Mind, there wasn't much to do in Chiswick, but they were able to kill some time exploring the Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve, pretending they were time travellers from the future, visiting the ancient land of Chiswick. No matter where they went, or what they did, they were able to make their adventures seem brand new and exciting. And now that Ian was preparing to head to the University of Glasgow, he wanted to make these last few adventures extra special.

Coming through the back door that lead to the kitchen, Ian set the milk he'd been sent out to get on the counter and made his way into the sitting room. He wasn't surprised to see Jackie and Rose both over. It wasn't an unusual occurrence for the two Tyler ladies to come over for a visit on the weekend, what was unusual was the sight of Jackie crying on Sylvia's shoulder and Rose curled in Donna's lap doing the same.

"What's going on!? What happened?!" Ian asked frantically, trying hard not to overreact, but failing miserably.

Uncle Geoffrey cleared his throat, and nodded towards his study, beckoning Ian to follow him. "Take a seat, son," he requested once they were alone.

Ian felt his hands grow clammy as memories of the night he learned about his family's deaths flash backed. "What's wrong?"

"Jackie lost her job."

"Oh." Not what he was expecting. "That's unfortunate, but that's why she's so upset? She can find a new job."

The older man shook his head. "She lost her job over a month ago. She's avoided saying anything in the hopes her luck would turn, but sadly it hasn't. She can't keep up with the bills. Jackie and Rose will be moving at the end of next week."

Ian's stomach plummeted. "What? Moving where?"

"A council estate in Peckham.

"But that's... A council estate? Surely they could go somewhere safer... nicer?"

Uncle Geoffrey sighed. "Pete Tyler was a very kind man, but wasn't one for numbers. Unfortunately, when he passed, he didn't leave Jackie in a good financial situation. How she's even made it this long, I'll never know."

"I could help," he offered. "I've got my inheritance. I know I don't have access until I'm twenty, but surely you could call the lawyers and work something out."

"It's not that simple, Ian. Your Aunt and I have offered financial help on several occasions over the years, but she wouldn't hear of it. Jackie Tyler is a proud woman and doesn't accept charity."

"But, Rose... Who's going to take care of her?"

"Well, until Jackie can find another job, she'll be there. And when she does find something, she'll figure it out."

"This is bollocks," Ian huffed.

His uncle chuckled. "Not my choice of words, but I agree with the sentiment. Listen, son, I know you have a soft spot for Rose, but maybe this is for the best."

He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Rose's little crush on you is sweet, but Jackie told us she's having a hard time making friends. Mainly because whenever another child invites her to do anything, she says no so she can hang out with you and Donna."

"One, she's seven. She doesn't have a crush on me. Two, Rose has never had any problem making friends. Everybody loves her."

"But she has a hard time keeping friends. Instead of going on playdates with children her age she wants to be spend her time with you. Bu you'll be going away to school soon. I know you haven't even told her about that yet."

Ian crossed his arms in true teenage fashion. "I was waiting for the right time."

Uncle Geoffrey eyed him. "Well, you have a week. Jackie'll need you and Donna to help out with Rose while Sylvia and I help her get settled in their new flat. She wants everything unpacked before Rose sees it, to help with the transition."

"Yeah. Okay."

* * *

It had been a week since Mummy had told her they were moving. It was horrible. They were leaving the house Rose had always lived in, to move into a flat almost an hour away from Chiswick! That means no more afternoons with Donna or adventures with Ian. She would be living in a new flat, going to a new school, and eventually be watched by a new person too. Life was not going well for Rose Tyler.

It hadn't been a terrible week. She knew Ian and Donna worked extra hard to make it special. They spent one day devoted entirely to watching Rose's favourite movies in a giant blanket fort Donna spent hours creating. They spent another day running around the neighbourhood, solving imaginary crimes. Last night, since all of Rose's bedroom things had been packed and transferred to their new flat, Rose actually got to spend the night at the Noble house. Mr. Wilf even came over with his telescope and spent several hours in the backyard showing Ian, Donna, and Rose all the stars in the sky. The next morning, Donna went with her parents to help Jackie unpack all the boxes in their new place, leaving her with Ian.

"Ready for our big adventure?" he asked as they walked towards the bus that would take them to their surprise destination. All morning Rose had begged him to tell her where they were going, but Ian insisted it would be a surprise.

"Ready," she answered quietly, giving one final look at her old house. She knew that after her adventure with Ian, he would be taking her to see her mum at her new flat.

"Hey," Ian called out to her. "Today's going to be great. And everything will be okay."

She smiled at him. "Yeah. Let's go!"

"Allons-y!"

"What?"

"It's French for let's go. I read it in a book last night. Thought I might start saying it more often."

Rose giggled. "You're silly."

He winked. "Never claimed otherwise."

Three hours later and Rose and Ian were exploring the the Saatchi Gallery, a gallery for contemporary art. Rose was overwhelmed with the works she was surrounded by, though Ian kept directing her away from the Saville exhibit. Probably because of the naked ladies! Rose giggled to herself. Still, it was all so amazing! She knew right then and there what she wanted to do when she was a grown up.

"I'm going to be an artist someday," she declared.

Ian looked down at her and smiled. "Yeah? You'd be a brilliant artist. You have a real talent for it, Rose. There's no doubt in my mind that someday I'll be standing right here looking at one of your paintings."

"What about you? What are you going to do when you're grown up."

"Well," he took a deep breath and lead her to a nearby bench, "funny you should mention that."

"What's wrong?" she asked, afraid of what he was going to say. Mummy had the same look on her face when she sat Rose down and told her they were moving away.

Ian took her hand. "Nothing's wrong, Rose. Okay? It's important you remember that. It's just... You know that it's almost time for me to go to uni, yeah?" She nodded and he continued, "Well, I won't actually be staying in London for university. I'm going to be going to the University of Glasgow."

"Where's that?"

"Scotland."

"You're moving to Scotland!?" she cried, tears forming in her eyes.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "Not for forever. I'm just going to school there. I'll come home on holidays."

She sniffled. "But it won't be the same! You're my best friend, Ian."

"And you're mine, Rose. We'll still see each other. I promise. Plus we can write each other and you can tell me all about your new school and friends. It'll be like I'm really here!"

"But you won't be!" she argued. "What if my new school is terrible? What if the other kids are mean to me?"

Ian placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face. "Hey, then you tell me about it, and when I come home I'll take care of it. Cause messing with Rose Tyler? Big mistake."

Rose sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I wish I was a grown up so I could go with you."

"Tell you what, when you're old enough, we'll run away for awhile. Go on a grand adventure to someplace like New York or Barcelona."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "You mean it?"

He squeezed her hand. "Of course I do."

"I love you, Ian."

"Quite right too."

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_**Thoughts? xoxo**_


	3. 12 and 22

**A/N: Hello, loves! Big thanks to my fabulous followers, to you lovely readers who have favourited, and to everyone who has left such kind reviews. You guys are the best.** **I hope you like this next update! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

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~12 and 22~

Four years. It had been over four years since Ian left for university. Over four years since Rose had moved to the Powell Estate. Sometimes it felt like just yesterday she was running around her neighbourhood in Chiswick, Donna and Ian each holding one of her hands. Other times, she could barely remember the colour of their walls in the kitchen or how many steps lead upstairs to her bedroom. True to his word, Ian would write Rose as much as possible, but as the years went on and his school work increased, the length between letters had grown wider. Still, they made the best out of every holiday they had. Donna often joined in as well, when she wasn't temping at one job or another.

For now, Ian was home on Christmas break. He and Rose were spending the evening together while Jackie was on a date with some man named Howared. Rose didn't know much about him, other than he worked at a fruit stall and had started making home deliveries to the Tyler women.

"What do you mean you've never been to Madame Tussauds?!" Ian gasped. The pair were walking around London trying to find their next adventure. When he'd casually mentioned visiting the wax museum, Rose revealed she'd never been.

"I mean just that," Rose insisted.

He looked at her in complete outrage. "You've lived in London you're entire life and you've never been to Madame Tussauds?! How have I not known this sooner? This is a travesty we must rectify."

She rolled her eyes at her overdramatic friend. "'S not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal?" He held a hand to his chest. "I cannot believe what I'm hearing. Who are you and what have you done with Rose Tyler? Is this what happens when you turn twelve? Suddenly you're a sullen preteen?"

"Shut up." She nudged his shoulder with his, sneaking a hand around to grab one of his chips. She'd finished hers long before.

"Tell me about school," he requested, not even bothering to comment on her thievery. "I feel like we've barely spoke this break."

"Well, It's not my fault you've been holed up studying."

"Oi! Pursuing your masters in physics is no easy task."

She nodded. "Probably more exciting than year eight, though," she muttered. "Ian, will we still run away together? When I'm old enough, I mean."

He looked at her in surprise. "'Course we will. I promised you didn't I?"

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago. What if... What if maybe by the time I'm old enough..."

"Rose? What is it? What's wrong?"

Rose bit her lip. She didn't want to bring this up, but god, it had been bothering her like mad, itching in the back of her mind for ages. She braced herself and blurted out, "What if you meet someone and she hates me and you marry her and then we can never go on adventures to Barcelona or New York or Cardiff or anywhere and I'll be stuck here forever?!" She took a deep breath, steadying herself on his arm.

Ian looked at her in complete shock before asking, "You're worried about not going to Cardiff?"

"Ian!"

He held up a hand. "Sorry, sorry! It's just... Is this about Reinette? What she said to you last summer?"

"No." Rose sniffed and looked away. She did not want to think about the gorgeous blonde Ian brought home with him that summer. One week into her visit she managed to "unintentionally" insult everyone in the Noble family. Two weeks into her visit, jealous of the attention Ian was giving Rose, Reinette accused Rose of being a childish chav who needed to run back to her council estate and stay there. Ian jumped to her defense immediately and promptly sent Reiniette packing, but the damage was done. Rose had heard every word she'd said and it hurt.

"Rose, Reinette is a-"

"Cow?"

Ian smirked. "I was going to say snob, but your term works too. She was wrong, Rose. You are so much more than where you live. And about what you said before, I have no intention of getting married anytime soon. Plus, I would never be with someone who hated you. That's a deal breaker for me. You're my best mate, yeah?"

She rolled her eyes, but granted him a nod. Best mates. That's what they would always be. "What about that Lady Christina de something or other Donna mentioned you were dating?"

He made a face. "Christina de Souza," he clarified, "and I was not dating her, thank you very much. It was one date and half way through she was arrested!"

"Oh my god! For what?"

"She stole the Cup of Athelstan from the International Gallery."

She gasped. "What? Ian! Geez, you really know how to pick 'em."

"See!" He chuckled. "I've given up dating. From here on out, I'm solely focused on my school work and planning the grand adventures we'll go on once you're old enough. Sound like a plan?"

Rose grinned. "Sounds like a fantastic plan!"

* * *

Truthfully, Ian was exhausted. He wasn't joking when he said getting his masters was no easy task. But he has been so busy in his studies this Christmas holiday, he'd barely spent any time with Rose. When he'd found out Jackie would be spending the evening out on a date, he jumped at the opportunity to hang out with his favorite twelve year old. When he arrived home from school, Donna confided in him that something had been off with Rose the few times she'd seen her. She said the young girl had been much quieter than usual, and that she seemed to not be doing well with her studies. He made a mental note to talk to Jackie about finding Rose a tutor. She was smart, he knew she was, but he also knew that sometimes she needed the extra push.

He once again cursed himself for ever thinking Reinette had been a decent person and bringing her home with him. Her cruel, untrue words had cut Rose deep and Ian completely blamed himself. What had he possibly seen in the older blonde, besides her good looks? She'd been a good actress, that's for sure. She'd tricked and deceived him. And why? All because she'd heard rumours about his inheritance. He was a fool for ever falling for her charms.

He'd hoped he'd been able to quell Rose's fears of him leaving her behind, and to assure her of her brilliance, but he wasn't sure. Her mood seemed slightly lifted, but there was still a sadness about her. A weariness he'd never seen her carry before. The look intensified when he saw her stop by a shop window display and give a heavy sigh.

"That's the bike you wrote me about, right? The one you were hoping to get for Christmas?" he asked, peering over her shoulder.

She nodded. "That's the one."

"Christmas is three days away. Maybe Father Christmas will grant your wish." He winked.

"I'm not a child, Ian. I don't believe in Father Christmas."

He sniffed at her sullen tone. "Well I do. Don't spoil my fun. And if Father Christmas doesn't get it for you, Jackie might. You told me you'd been dropping her hints since September."

"Not likely," she whispered.

"Why's that?"

Rose looked up at him nervously. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Of course," he assured.

"Mum lost her job again."

Ian felt his breath leave him in a rush. "When?"

"End of October. She hasn't been able to find another and money's tight so," she shrugged, "we're skipping presents this year."

"I'm sorry, Rose."

She sighed dejectedly and began walking away from the shop. "Just promise you won't tell your aunt or uncle, alright? She won't admit it, but she's embarrassed. She doesn't want their pity."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I won't say a word."

Rose lifted her chin. "Thanks. It'll be okay. We're still going to have Christmas dinner. Got us a little turkey. It'll be nice."

Despite her making an effort to appear fine, he saw a frown playing at her lips. "Turkey, huh? Having met your mother, nut loaf would be more appropriate."

"Oi!" she exclaimed, attempting not to giggle.

"Was that a smile?"

"No," Rose denied.

"That was a smile..."

"No, it wasn't!"

Ian wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. "You smiled!"

She finally gave in and laughed. "Shut up! You're such a geek."

"But I'm your geek. Now come on," he grabbed her hand and took of running, "I've got a hankering for a Slush Puppie!"

"It's the middle of winter!"

Ian could have honestly gone without the Slush Puppie, but his silly antic got Rose back to her normal smiling self and that's what mattered most. Now it was the night before Christmas and he just needed to put the second part of his plan in place, so long as he could get Jackie to agree.

"What the bleedin' hell, Ian!" he heard the older Tyler woman curse as she made her way to the courtyard of the Powell Estate. "Do you always make it a habit to meet older women outside in the middle of night. In winter!" she tacks on.

Ian took a deep breath before muttering, "Lovely to see you too, Jackie."

"Yeah, yeah, nice to see you, but what's this about? Why'd I have to wait till Rose was asleep so we could meet?"

Ian pulled open the back of the van he'd borrowed from one of their neighbours. "Because this is a surprise for Rose," he said, pulling out a red bicycle.

"You bought her the bike she wanted? She's been telling me about that thing for months now. But why are you bringing it now? Why not drop by with it tomorrow? Or wait till we go to your place for Boxing Day?

"Because the bike's not from me," he told her.

"Wha-" she stopped and looked at the tag hanging from the handle bars. It read, "To: Rose. Love: Mum."

"I was thinking you could set it up in the living room that way Rose will see it when she wakes up."

Jackie blinked back tears, her cheeks flushed bright red. "Ian, sweetheart, I don't know what Rose told ya, but I can't afford that. Change the tag and give it to her yourself."

Ian looked at her kindly. He had to admire this woman. She'd gone through so much in her life, yet she was still a fighter. He liked to think that if his own mum was still alive, she and Jackie Tyler would have got on famously. "Rose told me about your job, Jackie. That's why I want you to give this to her."

"I don't need your charity, Ian Noble. As soon as I find myself a new job, I'll make it up to her. Tomorrow's just going to be a quieter day than normal for us."

"Jackie, Rose needs some hope. She's not her normal self. She's walking around like the weight of the world is on her shoulders and I hate seeing her that way. If I give her this bike, she'll think it's out of pity. If you give it to her, it'll give her hope. Hope for better days."

The older woman crossed her arms and eyed him warily. "And how am I supposed to explain how I got the money for this?"

"Tell her you purchased it before you lost your job." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Listen, if it makes you feel any better you can pay me back for it someday, but please, Jackie. Rose needs this."

Jackie nodded before walking forward and wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. "You're a good boy," she said quietly in her ear. "Your mum and dad would be very proud."

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_**Thoughts? xoxo**_


	4. 15 and 25

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I lost internet on my laptop :( Big thanks though to my lovely followers, to those who have favourited, and to everyone who reviews! I adore you all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

* * *

"Are you sure I look okay?"

"Yes!" Ian laughed. He'd been assuring his girlfriend for the entire drive from Kent to London just how 'okay' she looked. "Joan, you look lovely. I promise."

She gave a weak smile. "I just want to make a good impression. I haven't met anyone's family in so long. Not since.."

Ian watched as a sad look flitted across her face. Reaching across the center console, he rested his hand on hers. "Not since Oliver?" he asked gently. Joan nodded. He'd met Joan Redfern three months ago after he took a tumble down the stairs outside his flat and had to visit the local clinic where she was a nurse. He'd been smitten from the start, and had asked her out for coffee immediately, but was promptly denied. It took him showing up at the clinic every day for a week before she finally relented. As they enjoyed their coffee and a walk about the park, Ian learned that the reason Joan had been so reluctant to go out with him was because she had been a widowed two years previous after only a year of marriage. It had taken a lot of patience on his part, but finally he and Joan were at a nice steady place. "My family is going to love you. What's not to love, hmm?"

She giggled. "And what about Rose? From the way you've spoke about her, she's very important to you."

He grinned. This just showed how much of a better person Joan is from Reinette. He'd been upfront with his current girlfriend about his much younger "best mate" from the start. Joan, being the kind person she was, immediately started asking questions about Rose, her likes and such, so they could have stuff to talk about when they eventually met. Knowing how much he adored Rose, he knew Joan wanted the younger girl to like her. "Rose may be a bit reserved at first, but once she gets to know you, she'll love you."

"How do you know?"

"Because I love you."

Joan sucked in a breath. "I love you too, Ian. You make me very happy. After Oliver... I never though I could have this. But then you came along."

It was early evening when Ian pulled his small car into the driveway of his old home. _Home_. Once upon a time this place wasn't his home. It was his aunt and uncle's house. The house he would occasionally visit on holidays. The house he would have sleepovers with his cousin Donna at. Then it became the house he was sent to live at after he lost everything. He wasn't sure the exact moment it stopped being a house and started being his home, but as his eyes drifted to the house next door, he knew who had a big hand in making him feel at home. Leading Joan into the house, it was a flurry of hugs and introductions at Ian congratulated Donna on her upcoming nuptials and and introduced his girlfriend to his family.

"Where's Rose?" he asked as soon as everything had calmed.

Donna cleared her throat and smiled apologetically. "She'll still be at the wedding tomorrow, but at the moment she's not allowed to leave the flat."

"Not allowed? What? Why?"

Donna's fiance, Lance, snorted into his coffee. "Because she's a bloody little trouble maker, that's why."

Ian frowned at the other man. So far he wasn't making the best of impressions on him. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Rose sort of got herself suspended right before school holidays. Only for a few days, but Jackie was none too pleased," Donna explained. "I don't really know what she did, Jackie wasn't too forthcoming when she called to explain, but she promised Rose would be at the wedding tomorrow."

"Well, there must have been some sort of misunderstanding. Rose isn't the sort to get suspended," he said, mostly for his girlfriend's benefit.

Joan squeezed his arm. "It's alright, Ian. I'll meet her tomorrow."

"Yeah. Just give me a mo'? I have a phone call I need to make." With a nod, he stepped onto the back porch and dialed a familiar number.

Jackie Tyler's answered immediately. "No,_ Ian, Rose cannot come out and play. She's in trouble."_

His eyes widened in shock. "How'd you know it was me."

_"I'm that good."_

"Or you've been answering the phone like that for the past hour..."

_"Shut up,"_ she chided, sounding very much like her daughter.

"Jackie, I haven't seen Rose in over six months-" He heard a huff on the other line, but continued, "Now can I at least talk to Rose? Please?"

There was a long pause before a shuffling sound filled his ear. _"Hello?"_

A grin spread across his face. "Yes, is this Prisoner Zero?"

_"Oh my god. You're such a geek. That was literally the stupidest movie you ever made me watch."_

"You loved it and you know it," he teased thinking back on the silly science fiction movie they'd rented last time he'd been in London.

_"Are you home now?"_

"I am, but you're not here. Heard you went and got yourself suspended. Care to explain?"

She groaned. _"It's so bloody stupid! It was only for three days and Mum is completely overreacting!"_

Ian held back a chuckle. It seemed like just yesterday Rose was a small little thing and now she was a suddenly a moody teenager. Where did the time go? "Why don't you tell me what happened to get you suspended and let me be the judge."

_"I sort've convinced the school choir to go on strike."_

He raised an eyebrow she couldn't see. "Really? And why would you do that?"

_"Because the disgusting excuse of a choir director is a sexist git who would rather stare at the girls tits all day than actually teach us any music!"_

"Oi! Language!"

_"Sorry, Ian. Forgot what a prude you were,"_ she said through a giggle.

"It's not that I'm a prude, I just think you're better than that kind of language," he told her, though he could tell by the heavy sigh she gave that she didn't believe him. "Has this director ever made any inappropriate advances towards you or the other girls?"

He heard a rustle on the other end and pictured her flopping back on her bed as she answered. _"Nah. Like I said, he just stares. And he only ever has the girls just stand there. It's weird."_

Ian clenched his fist. "And you told the headmaster about this, right?"

_"Yep. And he wouldn't listen, so I took matters into my own hands," _she said firmly.

A smile played at his lips. Sure, he wasn't happy about her being suspended, but he couldn't help but be a little proud. That was his Rose Tyler. Standing up and saying no when no one else would. "Here's what I don't understand, why exactly is your mum so upset? I mean, I get her not being happy about the suspension, but surely she would see reason for why you did what you did."

Rose cleared her throat uncomfortably. _"Well, see, after we left choir, my mate Shireen and I went for a bit and sortofgotcaughtsmokingfagsbehindthegym,"_ she said in a rush.

"Sorry? What was that?"

_"We sort of got caught smoking fags behind the gym."_

"What? What!? WHAT!?"

_"Ian-"_

"No!" he caught her off. "Rose Marion Tyler, what the hell were you thinking? Do you know how bad smoking is for you? You're fifteen for god's sake!"

He could practically see her eye roll as she answered, _"Please, like you've never tried one."_

"No, as a matter of fact, I haven't," he bit out.

_"Well, excuse me for not being perfect like you,"_ she snapped back, clearly upset.

Ian sighed heavily, his anger receding."I'm not perfect. I've done plenty of stupid things in my life."

Rose took a deep breath. _"It was on fag. One time. It was a mistake. I've already got Mum harping me about it, please don't be mad at me too."_

"I'm not mad, Rose. Disappointed, but not mad. Just... tell me you won't do it again."

_"I won't! I promise."_

He gave a small pause before continuing, "Alright then. Listen, I've got to go, I've left Joan alone with the others and I better go rescue her before Aunt Sylvia recruits her to do something for the wedding."

_"Ah, the mysterious girlfriend. Looking forward to meeting her,"_ she told him.

He smirked. "Really?"

_"Really. I mean, she can't be any worse than Lance."_

"Not a fan of Donna's husband-to-be?" he inquired, curious of her honest opinion.

She huffed. _"Have you met him? There's something off about him."_

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He's had the same impression of his cousin's fiancé, but thought that maybe it was just him being overprotective. "Yeah, I get it. Did you tell Donna how you felt?"

_"God, no. She's just been so... happy. You know?" _She stopped talking when Jackie's voice rang out in the background. _"Hey, I've got to go. Mum says my time is up. I'll see you tomorrow at the wedding, yeah?"_

"Yeah. See you then. Bye, Rose."

_"Bye, Ian."_

* * *

"Well, that was..."

"A disaster?" Rose offered as Ian perched next to her on the church courtyard wall. The wedding had started out as every wedding does. The church had been decorated accordingly and Donna had looked beautiful in her fluffy, stereotypical white dress as she made her way up the aisle. Half way through her decent though, Lance had called a halt to the ceremony and announced that he couldn't go through with it. He'd met another woman and was going to go be with her. Donna had stood there in complete shock until she finally broke and became inconsolable. Last Rose saw her, Ian had been leading her out the back.

Ian scrubbed a hand down his face. "That's one word for it."

"How's Donna?"

"A mess. Joan and Aunt Syl's helping her change out of her dress at the mo'. How's your hand?"

Rose grinned widely. "Heard about that did ya?"

He chuckled. "Joan was a fortunate witness. I can't believe I missed it!"

Rose flexed her right hand as she thought about what had gone down as soon as Lance tried fleeing the church. While everyone else had been focused on Donna, Rose had followed the runaway groom, and gifted him with a little something called the "Tyler Slap." Something her mum had become famous for 'round the estate. She shrugged. "He deserved it."

"While I don't normally condone physical violence, I can't argue with you there."

"She seems nice, Joan I mean."

He nodded and bumped her shoulder with his. "She is. She's really great. And you should know that she's fully aware and completely condones our plans to travel someday."

"Yeah?" she asked softly.

"Would I lie about that? Hey," he said, taking note of her melancholy, "what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing! It's just... you two are serious then? I mean, if you're already thinking about being with her that far in the future."

He made a face. "Well, not that far in the future when you're really think about it, but yeah, I guess we are pretty serious. Is there something you're not telling me, Rose? If you don't like her-"

"No! It's not that. She's great, yeah? Very sweet. If she makes you happy, then I'm happy for you, Ian," she told him, trying to sound as sincere as possible. This was honestly the last conversation she wanted to have with him. She'd heard all about Joan from him through their phone calls and letters, but held out hope that the new girlfriend wouldn't be as lovely as she sounded. It was worse. She was better. She was kind and considerate and had let out a proper cheer when Rose slapped Lance. She knew that there would never be anything between herself and Ian, but it didn't hurt any less knowing he was in love with someone who clearly wasn't her.

Ian reached across the wall and squeezed her hand. "And what about you? Does Rickey boy make you happy?"

Rose threw her head back and laughed. "It's Mickey and you know it!"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I've got a bloke who likes me. What's there not to be happy about?"

He frowned at her. "Just promise me that's not the only reason you're with him. You deserve the very best, Rose Tyler."

She sucked in a sharp breath. God, why did he have to say stuff like that to her. "Man, failed weddings certainly make you sappy," she teased, hoping to change the subject.

"Guess it does-"

"Ian!" Joan called out, appearing around the corner. "There you are. Donna's changed and ready to go home. Your Aunt asked if we could take her while she and your Uncle deal with everything at the reception."

Ian jumped off the wall. 'Sure thing. Tell her I'll be right there."

Joan smiled in agreement. "Bye, Rose. It was nice meeting you, even if things here didn't work out."

"Nice meeting you too, Joan," Rose responded before the other woman took her leave. "So, Mum says I'm officially free. I can come by tomorrow. Maybe take Donna on an adventure to help take her mind off things..." she suggested.

He grinned down at her. "I'm sure she would appreciate that. I'll see you later, then?"

"Not if I see you first," she replied, watching him walk in the direction his girlfriend had left, ignoring the pain it left in her heart.

Of course ignoring the pain would soon be a lot easier said than done, she just didn't know it at the time. It was early the next afternoon when Rose arrived at the Noble home, immediately spotting the rejected bride curled up on the sofa looking positively miserable. "Oh, Donna..."

"Hi, Rose," the ginger woman sniffled, trying to hold back her sobs.

"Hey now. None of that! Look here, I've brought provisions." She pulled a package of Malteasers out of her purse. "And that's not all!" She then pulled out a a cd out of her bag. "Angry girl music. I think since Ian has a car, we get him to blast this while he drives us to our adventure for the day. What do you say? I was thinking that maybe we could go to Grant's Museum, since it's free and we've never been there and-"

"Oh, dear," Donna cut her off. "You don't know."

Rose cocked her head. "Don't know what?"

"Ian and Joan left late last night. There was some sort of emergency at the clinic Joan works at and she was called back," she explained.

"So Ian had to go to?"

"Well, he was her ride... I'm sorry, Rose. I thought for sure he would call you before he left, or maybe even this morning."

Rose shook her head. "Well, he doesn't owe me anything. We're just friends, yeah? He, uh, he had to take his," she swallowed, "girlfriend home. No reason for him to call me over that."

Donna looked at her sadly, sympathy pouring from her gaze. "Rose..."

"How about we start on these Malteasers? Then maybe we could still go out for a bit. I mean, who needs Ian!"

"I appreciate the thought, Rose, I really do, but I don't think I'm up for going anywhere today. I'm just feeling a bit too old for an adventure."

She took a step back. "Oh. Right. Of course. Silly me."

"I would still love it if you stuck around though," Donna quickly added. "To be honest, Mum is driving me bonkers. It would be nice having you here too."

Rose gave a watery smile. "'Course I'll stay. I'm just gonna go, uh, freshen up a bit." With that she practically ran to the loo, holding back her tears till the door was firmly shut and the faucet turned on.

He left. Ian just left without even saying goodbye. He'd never once left without saying goodbye. But now... And they hadn't even gone on an adventure! They always did something together when he was home. Ten years they'd known each other gone on adventures together. Ten years. Maybe he felt the same way Donna did. Maybe he felt too old to be going places with silly Rose Tyler. God, she was thick. How long had he been humouring her? Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She'd always thought he felt the same way about her that she did about him. Well, maybe not the same way. She knew he wasn't in love with her like she was with him (a secret she would carry with her to her grave), but she thought what they had was special. They were special. Clearly she was wrong.

Well, no more. She would remain civil with him for posterity, but that was it. It was time for them both to move on. They were two very different people separated by age and class. The sooner she excepted that, the better things would be for them.

"Rose?" Donna called out from the other side of the door. "You okay?"

Quickly swiping her cheeks, Rose responded, "Yeah. Yeah I am."

* * *

**Please ****review! xoxo**


	5. 17 and 27

**A/N: Many thanks to my lovely followers, to everyone who has favourited, and to all you gems who take the time to review. *hugs***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

* * *

~17 and 27~

"Come on, babe. You know I need you to perform. You're my lucky charm."

Rose blushed under her boyfriend's flattery. She'd been dating Jimmy Stone for the past two months, but had both known him and known of him for much longer. He was infamous around the estate for being the resident 'bad boy,' though Rose didn't see him like that. To her, he was just misunderstood. Something she related to greatly. Rose had just broken things off with Mickey when Jimmy started paying attention to her. For Rose it was too good to be true. Jimmy Stone was going to be a somebody. He was in a rock band that was going places for sure. The fact that he chose her, when he could have any girl in Peckham, was beyond belief. "Jimmy, you know I'm not allowed in that club."

He sighed heavily. "And I told you, Benji has an in with the bouncer. He'll get you in."

"Yeah, but I've also got this... person visiting and I'm supposed to go see 'im," she said carefully, knowing how jealous her boyfriend could get.

"_Him_?" he bit out. "You want to go see another guy instead of seeing your boyfriend perform?"

"It's not like that," she rushed to say, running a hand down his chest. "He's nobody. I've known 'im since I was a kid. He's much older... like family. Plus he has a girlfriend."

Jimmy snorted. "Yeah? And is he more important than me? Cause I'll tell you what, babe. You're not the only girl in the world. I told ya, Rosie, I'll take you with me when we hit it big, but for that to happen, you have to actually _be_ with me." He leaned in close, his lips brushing hers. "So what'll it be?"

Rose bit her lip, mentally weighing her options. Ever since Donna's failed attempt at a wedding, things had been strained between her and Ian. She'd never mentioned his leaving without saying goodbye, and in turn, he'd never brought it up either. Despite her bitterness towards that moment, she still cared about him. She still loved him. But if what Sylvia told her Mum was true, Ian was going to be proposing to Joan soon. And when that happened, he was really going to no longer have time for her. And that's fine. They needed to move on with their lives. Rose needed to move on, and if Jimmy was her ticket to doing that... then so be it. "I'll be there," she promised.

"Good."

The performance was amazing, and Jimmy had been right, there were tons of girls there fawning all over her boyfriend. She shuddered at the thought of what might have happened had she'd not shown up. But now everyone would know who she was to him. For the final song, Jimmy had pulled her up on stage and kissed her in front of the whole crowd. There were plenty of cheers from the men and plenty of scoffs from the girls, but Rose didn't care. Now everyone knew that Jimmy Stone was taken. Rose was waiting outside the club while Jimmy and his mates packed up their equipment as she contemplated what happened after that display of affection. Jimmy wanted her to move in with him and drop out of school. That way, when his band finally made it big, she could be with him on the road. On one hand, part of her was wary of the idea. Leave her mum? Leave school? But on the other hand, things had been tense lately between her and her mum. They argued more than they spoke civilly to one another. She was also failing most her subjects in school, one of many reasons she and her mother quarreled. She was just taking a long drag of her cigarette when she heard an unfortunately familiar voice call out her name.

"Rose?!"

"_Shit_," she exclaimed under her breath. Her heart thumping wildly as Ian stormed towards her from across the street, Joan trailing reluctantly behind him.

"What the hell, Rose? Your Mum told me you were out with mates."

She looked around innocently. "I am."

He guffawed. "Well, I doubt she knows you're at a club. Sheesh, Rose! You're only seventeen."

"Spare me the lecture, Ian."

"Excuse me? Last I checked, this club was eighteen and older. I smell alcohol on your breath and you're smoking?! What happened to your promise not to do that again."

She rolled her eyes. "Oops."

Ian shook his head wearily. "I don't know what happened, Rose, but you've been nothing but a bratty teenager for the past year and I'm over it. Now say your goodbyes, cause I'm taking you home."

Rose felt anger rise in her chest. How dare he call her bratty?! How dare he demand she leave with him. "No, you're not," she argued. "You're not the boss of me, Ian. And I'm staying."

"Like hell you are!" he shouted, taking her completely by surprise. She'd never, _never_, had Ian yell at her before.

"Oi, Rose, is this bloke bothering you?" Benji's "mate" Oskar (the bouncer for the club), ambled over, giving Ian the side eye.

The change in Ian's stance was immediate and obvious as he pulled himself up to full height, a storm brewing in his eyes. For the first time since Rose had known him, she was frightened of Ian. "No, this bloke is not bothering her. In fact, this bloke is here to take her home."

The large, burly man crossed his arms. "Don't you think that's up to her?"

"Tell me, do you know how old she is?"

"Ian," Rose whispered harshly, mortified by what was happening and terrified of what would happen if Jimmy stepped outside and witnessed this embarrassment. He would dump her, no doubt about it.

Ignoring her, he continued, "Because as the bouncer of this club I think it's your job to know if one of your patrons is under the legal age. Am I wrong?"

"Please stop," she begged.

Oskar swallowed uncomfortably. "Well, I-"

"So, you should be fully aware that this young woman right here is only seventeen. She just turned seventeen, as a matter of fact. Now you have two options. You can try and stop me from taking her home to be with her mother where she belongs, or you can turn around a walk away right now and enjoy the rest of your evening. What'll it be? Oh, I should warn you," he tacked on, "if you choose the first option, I will be calling the authorities."

"Listen, mate, I don't want any problems. Just take the kid home and we can all forget all about this, yeah?" the bouncer pleaded.

Rose had enough. "I'm not a kid," she insisted.

Ian looked at her pointedly and grabbed her arm. "Yes, you are. Now let's go!"

"Oskar!" Rose called out as she pulled towards Ian's car. "Tell Jimmy I'll call him, okay? Make sure he knows that!" She turn and glared as Ian 'helped' her into the backseat. "I can buckle myself," she growled.

Rose sobbed the entire ride back, positively mortified by what had transpired. Neither Ian nor Joan spoke to her, but she was vaguely aware of quiet murmurs in the front of the car, mostly coming from Joan. It sounded as if she was trying to calm him, but he wasn't having it. Didn't she know? Ian needs quiet when he's upset. He needs a hand to hold. Ugh. And this is who he was planning on spending the rest of his life with? Bloody wonderful.

When they arrived back at the Powell Estate, Rose jumped out of the car before Ian had the chance to even shut the car off and ran straight to her flat and into her room. She could hear Ian entering the flat behind her and explaining to her mum what had transpired, but she didn't care. Enough was enough. She reached for her phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, it's Rose. Does your offer still stand?"

* * *

When did things go wrong? A question that had haunted Ian since the moment he'd left Rose's flat the night before. _Rose_. What happened to his sweet little friend? He remembered the short amount of time he spent with her at Donna's failed wedding and despite the circumstances, things had seemed okay. He regrets leaving his devastated cousin that night, but Joan had to get back to work and, truthfully, it was hurting Ian to see Donna in so much pain. She'd always been the strong one. Though they'd alway looked after each other and she definitely was the more stable of the two. In that moment he'd failed her. He'd made an effort ever since then to be there for her more, and he had been. But just as his relationship with Donna grew stronger, his friendship with Rose was floundering. It seemed like anytime they spoke on the phone, she was short with him. Emails and letters were few and far between, and mostly filled with awkward attempts at conversations. He knew being a teenager was rough and, according to Donna, even harder for girls.

He just couldn't believe what happened last night. She'd always been a bit... rebellious at times, but never had she'd done anything _bad_. Smoking? Drinking? Sneaking in to clubs? That was not his Rose. But what could he do? With the way she behaved towards him last night, he feared she would merely push him away should he try and confront her. He thought about going to Jackie, but that seemed a bit like going behind Rose's back. He was at a loss. He glanced at the bedside clock. Five AM. Perhaps at a more decent hour he would try talking to Donna about it. Surely she might have some insight into what's going on with Rose. She had, after all, been a teenage girl once. He'd attempted to discuss the situation with his girlfriend the night before, but Joan had merely shrugged him off, she stated that not knowing Rose that well, she wasn't the right person to talk about it with.

Outside his bedroom, the house phone rang. He frowned, assuming it was one of his aunt's friends calling for a chat. Though what could possibly need discussed at five AM was beyond him. Next to him, Joan rolled over onto her back. He looked at her and sighed. He'd had every intention of proposing to her last night at dinner, but every time he went to get down on bended knee, he couldn't find the words. He thought maybe a change of scenery would help, but as soon as they'd left the restaurant they ran into Rose and-

He lost his train of thought when someone knocked on the door. Joan blearily opened her eyes and made sure she looked decent before Ian called out, "Come in." The door opened and his cousin appeared. "What's going on Donna? It's five AM?"

Donna took a deep breath. "Ian..."

Sensing something was wrong, he immediately sat up. "What's wrong?"

"That was Jackie on the phone," she explained reluctantly.

He felt his stomach drop. "And?"

"Rose has left home."

"What do you mean left? Its five in the morning!"

Donna began ringing her hands as she relayed the information she'd just received. "Jackie said after you dropped her off last night, Rose went straight to her room and refused to come out. Jackie heard her crying for awhile before she finally stopped. She assumed Rose had cried herself to sleep. Then this morning Jackie woke up and and went to get a glass of water. She decided to peek her head in to check on Rose since she'd been so upset, but she was gone. There was a note on her bed. It said that Rose had decided to drop out of school so she could move in with her boyfriend Jimmy. apparently he's in some sort of band and has promised Rose he would take her on the road with him. Jackie's beside herself. She has no idea where Jimmy lives, but she knows he's bad news."

Ian took a moment to control his breathing, feeling on the verge of hyperventilation. "Did she call the police?"

His cousin shrugged. "And estate girl runs off to live with her boyfriend? Not high on their priority list."

"She's not just some estate girl," he argued.

"I know that! I'm just telling you what they're thinking is all."

"What does Jackie plan on doing?"

"She's not really sure. She's tried calling a few of Rose's friends, but the few she's gotten ahold of don't seem too keen on offering up anything useful. Seems they're all pretty loyal to this Jimmy bloke."

"Well, we'll see about that," he growled, jumping out of bed. "Donna, call Jackie back and tell her I'll be over there in an hour. We'll fix this." Donna nodded and exited the room as he began gathering his clothes and changing.

Joan sat up and watched her boyfriend's frantic movements. "Ian, what're you doing?"

"Getting ready so I can go help Jackie find Rose," he answered, not even looking towards her.

"Do you really think it's your place to do that?" she asked.

Ian stopped and turned to her. "Sorry? Of course it's my place."

"Really? Why?"

"Because I'm her friend."

"Ian," she said, judgement hinting her tone.

He grit his teeth. "What?"

Joan sighed. "She's seventeen."

"Yes, I'm well aware. That's the precise reason I need to go find her. She's a child."

"She is not a child, Ian. She is seventeen and not in any way your responsibility."

He took a step back. "How can you say that? When we first met I told you who Rose was, who she was to me. How important she was to me. You were fine with it."

"I was okay with it because she was a young girl your cousin used to babysit. I didn't realise she would be my competition," Joan replied.

Had Ian been drinking something, he would have spit it all over himself. "Compi- Sorry. Did you say competition?! Joan that's absurd.

"Is it?" she countered.

"Yes! It's Rose! She's like a little sister."

Joan smiled sadly. "Except she isn't. Ian, darling, I'm not saying anything inappropriate has ever happened between you two. I'm not saying you've even had thoughts about her romantically. But someday you're going to have to sit down an examine your relationship with that girl. Because the two of you? What you two have isn't normal."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and began taking deep breaths, not believing the turn in conversation. "There is nothing between Rose and I besides friendship and the fact that you even question that hurts me, Joan. I love you."

"I do not doubt your love for me, Ian. But I know that I don't hold your whole heart."

"How can you say that?"

"How long have you been carrying that engagement ring around?"

His mouth fell open. "I.. You... How?"

She laughed lightly. "It's been over three months. Three months you've been carrying that ring with you and not once have you asked me the question that goes with it. There have been so many opportunities, yet you've kept quiet. Last night we had a lovely dinner and I kept waiting and waiting..."

Ian looked at the clock and felt his stomach clench. Every minute that went by was a minute wasted. He needed to be out there looking for Rose. "Joan, I need to go. There's no time to lose. Can we please just talk about this later?"

Joan shook her head. 'Walk out that door, Ian and I can't guarantee I'll be here for you to talk to."

He should have spent his time weighing his options. Perhaps if he had been a better man he would have. Maybe he would have begged and pleaded. Asked her to come with him, to give him another chance. But he wasn't a better man. He was a coward, every time. He gave a short nod before walking out the door.

Several hours later, after he'd questioned practically every known friend and acquaintance of both Rose and Jimmy, he'd finally tracked down the bedsit the pair were sharing. It made hims sick to see the rundown neighbourhood Rose was now residing in. This was wrong. What about this could possibly appeal to her? With a deep breath, he raised his fist and knocked on the door.

"Did you seriously forget your key again?" He heard Rose giggle on the other side of the door.

He braced himself as it swung open, though nothing could have prepared for how he would feel at the sight he was met with. Her bleached blonde hair was tousled, as if she'd just rolled out of bed. The oversized t shirt (clearly not hers) falling off one shoulder, revealing several love bites. Not to mention the pair of pants she was wearing. His Rose was wearing some bloke's boxers. Not only did he feel sick at the sight, he felt another emotion he didn't even want to try defining. He just... couldn't...

"Ian?" she gasped. "What the _fuck_ are you doing here?"

He grit his teeth at her choice of language. "I should be asking you the same question. Get your things, you're going home."

"This is my home now and you need to leave."

"This," he waved his hands, "is not your home! Rose, look around you. Is this what you want out of a life? A dingy bedsit in a frankly disturbingly sketchy part of London?"

She looked around him wide eyed, checking to see if anyone was around. "You don't know anything," she said in a harsh whisper. "We're only going to be here for a bit. Jimmy's band is this close to a record deal and when that happens, he's going to take me away with him."

"How stupid can you be!? You honestly think that he's what, going to take you on the road with him?"

Rose narrowed her eyes. "Is that so hard to believe? That someone might actually want to take me travelling."

He clenched his jaw at her low blow. "I was going to take you travelling."

"Yeah? Tell me, how's that fiancé of yours?"

"I... She... We're not... Joan has nothing to do with this!" he finally spit out.

She pointed her finger and poked him in the chest. "And you have nothing to do with me."

"Rose, this is ridiculous! Do you honestly expect this Jimmy bloke to be your big ticket out of here? Please, just come home with me."

"Oh, I get it," she chuckled darkly. A hard sound Ian didn't like coming from her lips. "For once you're not the most important man in my life. You're not my dad, or my brother, or anything to me."

Ian felt all the fight in him drain away. "Well, if I'm so insignificant, maybe I should just go."

Rose nodded. "Yes, you should. Goodbye, Ian." With that she shut the door.

Numb. That was the only feeling he could register. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened, the cruel words they both had spoken. How was he supposed to go back and explain to Jackie? She'd be crushed. He promised her he would bring Rose home. He couldn't give up. He'd give give them both a few days to cool off. He was confident that if he just gave her a few days, Rose would realise what a mistake she was making. That's what he would do. He just needed to give her a little time.

Three days later when he returned to the bedsit, he found it completely empty, save for a single mattress on the floor.

Rose was gone.

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	6. 24 and 34 (Part One)

**A/N: I'm sorry for the wait. I have excuses, but long story short: life has been beyond stressful. Big thanks though to everyone who has followed and favourited, and to all you ****loves who have left such kind reviews. I adore each one of you.**

***Special thanks to Ash for listening to me complain about this one. She's the best.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

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~24 and 34~ (Part One)

"Tell me again why my presence is required?"

"Because you're my best man. Isn't that what best men do?"

Ian quirked an eyebrow at his friend Jack. The pair had met early on in their youth when Ian stayed with Jack's family in the States while on his study abroad program. It was during that time that Ian had learned of his family's tragic demise. The two boys had lost contact over time, but five years ago Jack tracked Ian down to let him know he was moving to the UK for work. Finding they had more in common now than they did before, they quickly became great mates.

"I don't think the best man typically helps choose the wedding photographer," he pointed out. "Besides, I don't think Ianto actually even needs your help choosing anything for the wedding. He seems to have it all down pat."

Jack chuckled. "That is true. But he's trying to include me, bless. Anyway, it was his suggestion that you join us today."

"Really?" Ian questioned suspiciously. "Ianto wanted _my_ help choosing a photographer for _your_ wedding? A photographer, I might point out, that he already knows."

"Is that so hard to believe? Yan respects your opinions."

"Jack..."

The American man finally threw his hands up. "Alright, alright. He happened to mention to me how pretty this photographer friend of his was and I just thought it couldn't hurt for you to be there."

Ian shook his head in disbelief. He turned and looked accusingly at the woman walking on his right. "Is this why you're here too? I thought Lee was at a conference this weekend and the kids were with his parents. And that's why you didn't want to be alone?"

Donna sniffed. "Lee _is_ at a work conference, the kids _are_ with the in-laws, and I didn't care to be alone this weekend. And if Jack happened to mention setting you up with Ianto's pretty photographer friend, so be it."

"You two are impossible! How many times do I have to say it? I'm happy! I don't need a girlfriend- or boyfriend," he added when Jack tried to interrupt. "I don't need you two trying to set me up every chance you get."

The other man conceded. "Fine, fine, but listen. You're already here. What's the harm in just meeting her? She doesn't even know about you so you don't have to worry about any awkwardness."

"And if you happen to hit it off, no harm done," Donna tagged on cheerfully, looping her arm through his.

"Here we are!" Jack announced before Ian could come up with a reply, leading them inside the quaint cafe near Cardiff Bay. "Yan's text says they're near the back."

As they made their way towards Jack's fiancé, Ian nudged his shoulder. "I can see what you mean, Jack. She's gorgeous."

"Stop it. She's probably just not here yet."

"Who's not here?" Ianto asked after rising to his feet and giving Jack a chaste kiss. One thing Ian had learned over the years was that while Jack was all about outlandish flirting and displays of affection, Ianto was the exact opposite.

"The photographer," Ian answered.

The quiet Welsh man gave his partner a knowing smile. "Actually, she is." He nodded towards the thick photo album sitting at their table. "She just went to go wash her hands. In fact, here she comes now."

"Be nice," Donna whispered in his ear as Ianto and Jack stepped around them to greet the former's friend.

Ian sighed at his cousin's warning. "I'm always nice." Behind them he heard Ianto clear his throat and turned around.

"Everyone," he started, "I'd like to introduce you to-"

"Rose," Ian finished, his heart racing. Seven years. It had been seven years since he'd last seen Rose Tyler. Unbidden memories of their last meeting flitted through his mind, their harsh words echoing in his ears. He had thought, over the years about trying to contact her, but could never build the courage to do it. He tried telling himself that if she wanted to connect, she'd contact him. The truth was he was just a coward. Every time.

Feeling himself pushed out of the way, he watched as Donna pulled their old friend into an embrace. "Oh my _god_! Rose!"

"Donna! Wow. Hi!" the blonde responded, though her eyes never left Ian's.

"I take it you all know each other," Jack said, watching Ian carefully.

Donna pulled back from Rose. "Know each other!? I used to babysit this girl! And now look at her. Blimey, what has it been? Six... Seven years?"

"Yeah," Rose responded with a grin. "It's, uh, it's nice to see you. It's nice to see you both!"

"Look at you!" Donna gushed before asking all the questions Ian himself wanted answers to. "Where have you been? What have you been up to? Why are you in Cardiff?"

Rose took a deep breath and smiled apologetically. "Um, maybe we can chat about all that later. It's just, I have my appointment with Ianto and Jack and I know Yan has another meeting in a bit that he needs to get to."

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry, boys!"

Ianto smiled and pulled out a chair for Rose. "Quite alright. I don't mind, though she's correct, I do have a meeting with our cake decorator in an hour."

"Great, then let's get started," Rose said, taking her offered seat. "First off, congratulations to you both."

"Thank you," Jack replied on behalf of himself and his fiancé.

"I have here an album with some weddings and events I've shot, along with a sheet listing the various packages I offer. And of course we can always customise a package that will work best for your big day."

Ian watched with unspoken pride misting his eyes as Rose conducted the meeting with his friends, going over various styles of photography. She was so... grown up. Her hair fell in natural blonde waves, just past her shoulders. Her make up was subtle, though she made an impression with her red long-sleeved shift dress. Never had he seen or imagined Rose like this. In the past seven years he had two pictures of her in his mind. One of her as a little girl, so innocent and wanting to go on adventures, and the other as the last time he saw her, broken and making poor choices. But whatever happened to her during their years apart had obviously changed her into a beautiful, smart, put together young woman. Did he mention beautiful? And grown up?

"These photos are gorgeous, Rose," Donna injected, pulling Ian out of his thoughts. "Do you work with a second photographer?"

Rose beamed under her old babysitter's praise. "Occasionally, if requested. Though I find having a second photographer is always a good idea. You get more of those special moments captured that way. It's a small fee, but a second can be added to any package. Also, no worries about booking right away. Take some time to think about it and go over your options. This is a big decision and should not be taken lightly. I've got your big day penciled in just incase."

With a nod from his fiancé, Ianto responded, "Actually, Rose, I really don't think Jack and I need anymore time. We want you to be our photographer. Your pictures are amazing and are just what we're looking for."

Looking truly humbled, she asked, "Are you sure? You don't have to choose me just because we're friends."

"Trust me," Jack told her, "that's not why we're picking you."

"Well, I would be honoured to be your photographer. Thank you." Suddenly her phone began buzzing. "I'm so sorry. Do you mind if I take this?" With Jack and Ianto's nods of approval, Rose grabbed her mobile and took a few steps away.

Ian breathed a sigh of relief. This would mean that he would for sure be seeing Rose again after this day and she wouldn't just disappear on him again.

"Sorry about that." Rose returned looking frazzled. "Something's come up and I've got to dash. Jack, it was lovely meeting you. You and Yan are a fantastic couple and I look forward to shooting your big day. Just email the contract when you decide which package you'd like to go with."

"But, I thought... I was hoping we could, you know, catch up," Ian sputtered. Afraid that if she walked away now he wouldn't see or speak to her again until the wedding.

She smiled apologetically. "Me too. Tell you what, how about we all have dinner tonight? Are you free?"

"We're free!" Donna jumped in. Jack and Ianto also confirmed their availability.

"Perfect! There's a great little restaurant down the road called Cooper's. Do you know it?" she asked as she began gathering her things.

Ianto handed her the album and said, "I can give them directions."

Rose leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "You're a gem. Sorry to rush out like this. Cooper's, six o'clock?" she questioned.

"We'll be there," Ian promised, watching her race out of the cafe. He couldn't get over the turn his day had taken. For years he had wondered about her, worried about her, agonised over the choices she'd made. He knew his Aunt Sylvia still spoke to Jackie Tyler on occasion, but the few times Donna had inquired after Rose, Sylvia would shrug and say that Jackie preferred not to talk about the situation.

Now he was about to see her again. Speak to her. Maybe now he could properly apologise for what happened the last time they saw each other. He could explain where he was coming from and why he reacted the way he did. And perhaps, she too would explain her actions. Make him see why she did what she did. And then maybe, just maybe, they could start to rebuild the friendship they once had. 'Or more,' his traitorous mind whispered. Well, that just wouldn't do. He could not be thinking about Rose like that. Not at all. He had spent years going over what Joan had said about his and Rose's relationship and had found it to be absurd. So what if anytime he'd met another woman he secretly compared her to Rose? She had a lot of admirable qualities when she wasn't running away with lousy musicians. And that train of thought had to end right there. He couldn't hold that over Rose. It had been years. She was clearly a different person now who had made a life for herself here in Cardiff as a photographer.

Though that did make him curious. Why Cardiff? Why not go home to London? And what happened to her art? True, if the album she'd shown earlier was anything to go by, she was an extremely talented photographer. But she also had a talent for drawing and painting. He wondered why she wasn't pursuing that. He sighed and rubbed his clammy palms on his trousers. Hopefully he'd get the answers to his questions soon.

"Would you calm down," Donna chastised as they walked towards Cooper's Restaurant. "Cripes, you're acting like this is a first date or something. We're just meeting Rose."

"What do you mean calm down? I'm calm. Couldn't be calmer. I'm the epitome of calm," he rambled.

She frowned. "Stop being weird. What happened in the past is just that, in the past. Rose is an adult now, not a teenager. So just relax."

Ian nodded. It was easy for Donna to say that. He hadn't shared all the details of his last meeting with Rose with anyone, instead choosing to keep their harsh words to himself. Despite all that, she was right. Rose was an adult now and there was no reason why they couldn't all sit down and have a nice conversation.

Entering the restaurant the were greeted by a burly Welsh man. "Welcome to Cooper's, I'm Rhys. How many in your party?"

"We're supposed to be meeting a few friends," Donna began.

"Ah! You're with Rosie I presume? She called just a few minutes ago and said she was meeting some people. Should've known it would be you two."

"Why's that?" Ian questioned.

The burly man grinned. "She told me to look for a tall ginger woman and a man with lots of brown hair. Really great hair were her exact words, I believe."

Ian blushed and nervously adjusted his tie. "Right then... That would be us, I guess."

"Also the other two gentlemen in your party are already here. Right this way," Rhys replied, leading them to the table Jack and Ianto were already seated at. "Rose should be here any minute. If you need anything in the meantime, just flag down one of our servers and they would be happy to help," he said before heading back to his post at the front of the restaurant.

After greeting their friends, Donna eyed the number of seats at their table. "Huh. There's two extra chairs. Was Rose bringing a date?"

Ianto blinked in surprise. "Not that I'm aware of. I assumed she was bringing-"

"Sorry I'm late," Rose interrupted, slightly out of breath as if she had run part of the way to restaurant.

"No problem! No problem at all!" Ian replied enthusiastically. He didn't realise until he actually saw her standing there how afraid he'd been that she wouldn't show up.

"And who do we have here?" Donna asked.

Ian looked at his cousin in confusion before following her gaze and seeing what, or rather who, she had been referring to. Peeking behind Rose's long red skirt was a little girl, no older than four or five, with wavy blonde hair and large brown eyes. He felt his heart stutter. It was as if he had travelled back in time. He knew those eyes. He had seen those eyes light up with laughter, fill with tears, and grow wide in wonder. But that would mean...

"It's alright, sweetheart," Rose said softly to the little girl. "Everyone, this is my daughter."

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	7. 24 and 34 (Part Two)

**A/N: My apologies for the wait. I have excuses, but long story short... Life is hard work. Many thanks to my amazing followers, to those of you lovelies who have favourited, and to you wonderfully supportive readers who have taken the time to review. I love you all. *hugs***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

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~24 and 34~ (Part Two)

It was funny, Rose thought to herself. When she woke up this morning she never thought her day would take the turn it had. She had been looking forward to her meeting with Ianto Jones and his fiancé Jack, since she's received the call two weeks prior. She had only seen Ianto once since moving to Cardiff three months ago and was excited to spend time with her old friend. Little did she realise that the meeting would reunite her with even older friends. To say seeing Donna Noble was surprising would be just about right. To say seeing Ian Noble was like a huge shock to her system would be putting it lightly. She'd tried conducting her meeting in a professional fashion, even more-so than usual, but couldn't stop thinking about the man sitting across from her. Blimey, he was just as handsome as he'd always been. Though, there was a tiredness about him that hadn't been there before. She wondered, not for the first time, what his life had been liked since they'd parted ways. What gave him that weary look deep in his eyes.

She'd tried so hard over the years to forget her last encounter with Ian, but no matter how hard she tried, she never could. His disappointment in her, his cruel words to her, would forever haunt her. Just as her anger and nasty attitude with him would. That argument would always be one of her biggest regrets. She tried not to dwell on it, she couldn't change what happened in the past, and honestly, even if she could change things, she wouldn't. Not if it meant not having her sweet little girl. Her precious Imogen. That was one event she could not, would not, regret. The circumstances surrounding her life at that point were unfortunate, but Rose did her best to rise above them. To create a better life for her daughter. Her daughter. Even after four years it was still a strange thought. She was a mum. There was a little person in the world who existed because of her. Who relied on her. It was humbling and terrifying and every other emotion in between. There was always a sense of pride there when she introduced her daughter to someone and there was nothing different about when she introduced her to Ian and Donna, though there was an accompanying feeling of trepidation. Unless her own mum had been over talkative with Sylvia Noble, Rose was almost positive her old friends had no idea that she had even been pregnant. She could practically feel Ian's curiosity vibrating off him as Rose introduced Imogen to the group.

Though she could see the questions threatening to spill out of him, thankfully, Ian kept them to himself as they sat through dinner. Rose, with years of practice, kept the conversation focused on the others as she learned of Donna's marriage to her now husband, Lee. She smiled as her old babysitter described meeting the quiet man when she was temping at a speech therapy office where Lee was being treated for a severe stutter. She explained how after only a few months of knowing each other they snuck away to the Registrars Office with only Ian knowing their whereabouts, and were married. A few months after that, Donna learned she was pregnant with twins, Josh and Ella, who were now two years old. It pleased Rose to no end to know that Donna had received her much deserved happy ending, but never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine sitting with her old babysitter exchanging their children's potty training horror stories.

As the evening wore on, Ian stayed suspiciously quiet, only injecting quick comments here and there about whatever subject was being discussed. By the looks Jack and Donna were both shooting him, Rose wasn't the only one who found his behaviour odd. Ian was rarely so silent. It wasn't until they were leaving the restaurant and everyone was saying goodbye, that Rose realised why.

"We are _not_ going seven years without speaking or seeing each other, you here?" Donna commanded as she hugged Rose tightly. She would have liked to have spent more time together, but she was expecting a call from Lee and she wanted to check in with her in-laws and see how the twins were doing before he did.

"'Course not!" Rose agreed, hugging her back. "You've got my number. And if nothing else, we've got Jack and Ianto's wedding to look forward to."

"Will you need a cab?" Ianto asked, knowing she lived close by.

She shook her head. "Nah! We're not far from here. Walking won't hurt us, will it?" She looked down at her little girl who smiled and shook her head.

As Donna's cab pulled up, she looked to her cousin. "Are you coming Ian?"

"Uh, no," he answered carefully. "Think I'll walk Rose and Imogen home. You know, make sure they make it safely and all that." And Rose knew. He was waiting. That's why he had been so quiet through their meal. Clearly he hadn't shared their last encounter with the others and he wanted this one, possibly their last, to be in private. She only hoped he would wait until she got home and got Imogen to bed before he began the interrogation.

Jack smirked. "Right. You do that. Call me tomorrow, okay?" Ian nodded as everyone said their final goodbyes and parted.

"So, which way are we headed?"

"That way." She pointed to the left. "Not that I don't appreciate it or anything, but you really didn't have to walk with us. Im and I are fine. We walk all the time."

"Do you not want me to?" he questioned, sounding incredibly unsure of himself. "I was just hoping maybe we could talk. You know... without the others. I've just... It's been so long, Rose."

Suddenly, Rose wasn't sure it was an interrogation he had planned. She cleared her throat. "I don't mind. I'd like that actually. To catch up, I mean. Just the two of us." She was stopped by a tug on her coat by her yawning daughter.

"Mummy, I'm sleepy," the little girl said, her voice taking on the higher pitch of a tired child.

"She speaks!" Ian proclaimed, a grin splitting his face. All throughout dinner, despite everyone trying to pull her out of her shell, Imogen had stayed stubbornly silent. Rose had apologised profusely for her daughter's shyness. It was a constant struggle for the two of them. Imogen blushed a bright red and buried her face in Rose's leg.

Running her hand through her daughter's messy blonde curls, Rose picked her up and said dryly, "Occasionally."

"Nothing wrong with being shy! Plenty of famous people were shy. Albert Einstein, for instance. Or, OR, Eleanor Roosevelt! She was painfully shy as a child, but grew up to be one of the most well known political figures in the United States. There's also Lucille Ball, she was a pretty shy kid as well. Not to mention one of my all time favourite authors, Agatha Christie. Little known fact, she was an accomplished pianist, but her shyness kept her from pursuing it. Didn't stop her from writing though."

"Well, I don't think she knows who any of those people are, but I appreciate the sentiment."

"Doesn't know...? Doesn't..." he sputtered. "How does she not know Agatha Christie?! What kind of parent are you, Rose Tyler?"

She guffawed. "The kind who doesn't think The Unicorn and The Wasp is an appropriate bedtime story for a four year old!"

"The Unicorn and The Wasp!? That's not even a real story! For shame, Rose Tyler. For shame."

"Oh my god. You are such a geek."

"You love it." He winked, caught up in their banter.

"Yeah," she said softly before stopping in her tracks. "Uh, this is us. Told you we weren't far. Do you... Do you want to come up for some tea?"

Ian gave a visible sigh at the invitation. "I'd love to."

As they walked up the stars leading to her flat, Rose sent a silent prayer of thanks that she'd thought to pick up the place before she left for dinner (the reason she was a few minutes late) so it wasn't too much of a tip. There were the few boxes that had yet to be unpacked since their last move, but there wasn't much that could be helped for that.

"Sorry about that," Rose apologised as she unlocked the front door, nodding to the boxes in question. "This place is a bit smaller than our last and I've yet to find room for everything. There's stuff for tea on the counter if you don't mind starting it. I'm just gonna get this lump down for bed. Shouldn't take long, she's half out of it already."

"Sounds like a plan." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Goodnight, Imogen. Sleep tight."

"Night," the little girl quietly responded, her voice thick with sleep.

He wiggled his eyebrows at Rose. "She speaks again! I think she likes me."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Go make the tea," she ordered, smothering a giggle when he responded with a salut. Falling back into their old ways was proving surprisingly easy. But that's the way things had always been between the two of them. Easy. Up until the end that is. It was then the nerves and butterflies came rushing back. Pushing them aside, Rose focused on on the nightly ritual of getting her daughter ready for bed and tucking her in. It was familiar and comforting and brought her back down to Earth. This is who she was now. She wasn't little Rose Tyler following Ian Noble around on adventures, hanging on his every word. She was a mum. She she had made her choices, some of them poor ones, and she'd survived. As Imogen's eyes fluttered to a close, Rose kissed her daughter's cheek and mentally braced herself as she went back towards the main room.

"Hope you still take your tea the same way," Ian said when he saw her enter. "I probably should have waited to prepare it until I asked."

"It's perfect," she told him, taking a sip from the mug he'd handed her. "I see you still take yours with far too much sugar."

He shrugged. "Why mess with perfection?" Throwing some chocolate biscuits on a plate, Rose lead them towards the sofa, watching as Ian did a lap around the room, staring at the pictures of her daughter hanging artfully on the wall. "You're still painting, I see."

"Just for myself," she responded as Ian trailed one finger along the frame of the one picture on the wall that was actually taken with a camera. It was taken minutes after she'd given birth by the nurse Rose ended up naming her daughter after. "Go ahead," she surprised herself by saying.

He turned around and frowned. "Sorry?"

"You can ask. I know you're dying to."

"Rose..."

"Just ask, Ian," she told him.

Taking a big gulp of his tea, Ian positioned himself on the sofa, close enough to touch if they wanted, but far enough away that they both had their space. "Who's the father?"

"You don't know 'im."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Not Jimmy?"

Rose snorted and took a biscuit off the plate. "No. He was long gone by that point, thank god."

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, reading her like an open book.

"A bit, yeah," she admitted, "but that was a long time ago. I'm over it."

"What happened?"

"Where do you want me to start?"

He thought for a moment before saying, "How about where I showed up at your bedsit three days after our last fight and you were long gone. Where did you go?"

Rose felt like her heart stopped beating. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect him to say _that_. "You came back? Why?"

"Because I wasn't ready to give up on you."

"But I was awful to you! I said terrible things."

"Well," he drew out, "to be fair, so did I."

She took a deep breath. "We went to Blackpool. Jimmy had a gig lined up there. We were only supposed to be there a week tops, but we ended up staying much longer. Well, I ended up staying much longer."

Ian's eyes narrowed. "He left you there?"

"Yep. Three months after we got there he met some girl at an arcade while I was at work and went with her to Amsterdam. Course, not before he stopped by our flat and took the money I'd been saving up for us."

"Where were you working?"

"A chippy on the Central Pier. That's where I met Rhys, actually. You know, that bloke at the restaurant tonight."

He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He munched on a biscuit for a moment before finally asking, "Why didn't you come home? After he left, you why didn't you come home?"

Rose closed her eyes. This was a question she'd asked herself many times and no matter how often she thought about it, the answer was never clear. "Money, pride, fear, embarrassment. I don't know, Ian. There were so many reasons. Eventually, I left the chippy and got a job at a little boutique. I made some friends, and just went day by day. I'd been there over a year, when this guy came into the boutique where I was working, looking for a birthday present for his mum. He was sweet, and charming, and ridiculously smart. Found out he was originally from London, but now worked for some fancy tech company in America and was just in Blackpool for a few days on business. He ended up staying in the shop until I got off work so he could take me out for meal. We ended up spending an entire weekend together," she finished with a blush.

"Then what happened?" Ian prompted with barely concealed jealousy.

"He eventually went back to work in America, said to call him if I ever found myself in Utah, and that was that. A bit later the owner of the boutique told me she was opening a second location in Belfast and asked if I'd be willing to go and be the assistant manager. I jumped at the chance to leave Blackpool."

Ian took a deep breath. "Belfast? That's where you've been living up until you moved here, right? I thought I detected something a bit different in Imogen's accent."

Rose left out a small laugh. "Yeah. I'm curious to see how she'll sound after living in Cardiff for awhile."

"So, you moved to Belfast. That's where you met Ianto, I'm guessing."

"Yep. He was the manager for the boutique." She groaned as she thought back to her first meeting with her now friend. "Let's just say we didn't exactly hit it off right away though."

A small smile played at his lips. "Why?"

"Well, he introduced himself, nice and polite, and right as I opened my mouth to do the same I vomited all over his fancy loafers. Let's just say that was the day morning sickness hit with vengeance. And _that's_ when I figured out I was pregnant."

He nodded. "The bloke from Blackpool?"

She snorted. "Sounds like a cheap paperback, but yeah. The bloke from Blackpool. To say I was terrified would be an understatement. I had no idea what to do... I was... I felt so alone."

"Rose-"

"I still had the number he'd given me, so I gave him a call and shared the news. He didn't take it well."

"What did he say?" Ian bit out.

She turned away, unable to look at her old friend as she shared the next part of her story. Staring out the window, she wondered when it had started raining. "He accused me of lying. Said, if a stupid chav like me would sleep with him after only knowing him a few days, who's to say I don't do that with every man I meet. Said I only picked him to be the dad since he's probably the best I ever had," she rolled her eyes, "and the told me I wouldn't get a thing out of him. I, uh, I offered to get a blood test to help convince him he was the father, but he had some less than kind words for me when it came to that. Told me I was best off getting rid of... it." Steeling herself, she snuck a peek at Ian and found him clenching and unclenching his fists as he stared at a painting she'd done of Imogen as a baby.

"His name," he said suddenly.

"Sorry?"

Ian snapped his head towards her. "You never said his name. What is his name?"

"Adam."

"Adam what?"

She shook her head. "I'm not telling you that. You're going to stay out of it, Ian. He doesn't matter. Honestly, after I heard him say that I realised how lucky I was that he wasn't going to be in mine or my child's life."

He practically growled. "But, Rose, he-"

"No buts, Ian. He is nothing to me or my daughter. Look at me. I'm okay. Yes, it was difficult at the time, but I made it through that time. I have a beautiful little girl who I love more than anything in this universe. She is the very best of humanity and I will not let even the thought of her biological father taint that," she finished passionately.

That was when Ian looked at her, really looked at her. Eyes shining with an emotion Rose couldn't quite place. "Rose Tyler," he whispered. "You've grown up."

"Yeah," she whispered as well. "Having a kid does that to you." When she felt Ian's hand move to rest of hers, she lost any semblance of control. "Oh god, Ian, I missed you so much and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I was such a horrible cow to you. I said the most awful things and I didn't mean them, I was just confused and upset and I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said, pulling her into his arms. "Listen to me, Rose Tyler. You were never a 'horrible cow.' You were young. And I said things too, things I shouldn't have. But that was years ago. I forgive you, Rose. Do you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive," Rose told him vehemently.

He smirked. "Humour me, sweetheart."

"I forgive you."

"Thank you."

"I mean it though. I've missed you so much. You have no idea how many times I've almost called you..."

He brushed an errant chunk of hair behind her ear. "I'm here now. So, let's dry those tears, yeah? You never finished telling me what happened with Ianto after you tossed your biscuits all over his shoes."

Rose threw her head back and laughed loudly before remembering her sleeping daughter in the next room. "Oh gosh. Poor man. After he found out I was pregnant and not hungover like he'd originally assumed, he forgave me. Told me I wasn't allowed to let it affect my work though and to expect no special treatment from him just because I was 'with child.'"

Ian's eyes grew wide. "He said that? Mister Polite himself, Ianto Jones?"

"It was all for show. He ended up making me a cup of chamomile tea every day and even went with me to a few of my doctor's appointments."

"Now that sounds more like Ianto. Now tell me, where did you get the name Imogen?"

She grinned and nodded to the framed photo on the wall. "It was the name of the nurse who took that picture of me and Im right after I'd given birth. She was a gem throughout my labour and felt bad that I was alone and no one was there to document anything, so she snapped that picture of me with her mobile and had it printed before I was discharged."

"You were alone? But what about your mum? Haven't you been in contact with her at all?"

Rose took a deep breath. "Things with my mum have been... complicated. I called her after I found out about Im. Thought it was time to swallow my pride, you know? And it was great at first. I apologised, we cried, we laughed, we were doing okay. Until I shared my news with her. She flipped out. Called me irresponsible and insisted I needed to come home so she could help raise the baby. Said I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I obviously needed her help. We had a huge fight. It hurt that she didn't think I could do it on my own and I was determined to prove her wrong."

"So, you and your mum...?"

"We've spoke a few times, I've sent her some pictures of Imogen, but things are strained. I hate it, I just don't know how to fix it."

"Come home," he said suddenly.

She furrowed her brow. "Sorry?"

He squeezed the hand he was still holding. "Come home to London, Rose."

Rose closed her eyes. Of course it had crossed her mind. Of course it had. But she couldn't just up and leave. She'd used up a good portion of her savings getting her and Imogen to Cardiff. But how could she possibly explain that to Ian? Money had never been an issue for him before and she wasn't sure how she could possibly explain it to him. Besides, what would she do with her painfully shy daughter in London? It was bad enough when the neighbour woman who had been keeping an eye on the four year old today called and said Imogen had locked herself in the closet and refused to come out. "I can't just leave, Ian. It's not that simple. I'm setting up a life here as a photographer, I'm finally getting some clients-"

"You can be a photographer in London!" he argued.

"Yeah, cause London is in short supply of photographers," she said, dripping in sarcasm. "It's taken me a long time to set myself up in this profession. After the boutique in Belfast closed, I didn't know what to do. I got a job as a waitress using every bit of my tips making sure that I could provide for my baby. It wasn't until I saw an ad for a free photography class at the local community center that things started to look up. It's been hard, but coming to Cardiff was a strategic move on my part. There's nothing for me in London."

Ian leaned in towards her. "I'm there."

She bit her bottom lip. "Ian..."

"Come home, Rose."

"I can't."

He leaned closer. "I missed you so much, Rose. You're my best friend."

"Still?"

"Always have been. Always will be. Come home."

She reluctantly shook her head, trying hard not to focus on how close Ian was to her now. Just a breath away. "I can't," she repeated, though she was well aware how unsure she sounded. She wasn't sure what was happening. This was _Ian_ and if she just moved a little closer her lips would be on his. She still loved him, had never stopped, but it never occurred to her that there would be a time where he might reciprocate her feelings. Is that what this was though? She had no idea, but she so wanted to find out. "Ian?"

His lips brushed hers. "Rose..."

She'd just started to return the pressure when a loud crack of thunder shook the flat before a high pitch scream tore them apart. Rose jumped off the sofa as her little girl ran full pelt out of the bedroom. "Shhh. It's alright, baby. Mummy's here," she cooed, scooping her daughter into her arms. Looking over her shoulder at Ian, she saw him taking deep calming breaths. She was nervous about how he would act after their barely there kiss, but he merely smiled at her as he rose to his feet and joined her and Imogen.

"My but those are some big tears," he commented, running his hand through her daughter's tangly curls. "Did that thunder frighten you ?" She she answered with a small nod and he grinned. "Oh, good. I thought I was the only one!"

Imogen's head popped up, looking thoroughly confused. "You were scared?" she asked quietly.

"Oh yes!" Ian answered enthusiastically. "But do you know what helps me not be scared?"

"What?"

"When I think about what thunder really is. Do you know what it really is?" She shook her head no. "Time for a science lesson then," he said just as another peal of thunder echoed through the room. Rose barely held back her shock as Imogen practically flew out of her arms and into Ian's. "Well, hello there. Come sit with me and I'll tell you all about thunder and what makes it so noisy."

Rose watched in wonder, unable to tear her eyes away, as Ian snuggled with her daughter on the sofa and explained the science behind thunder. He didn't sugar coat things for her, there were no silly stories of angles bowling or vampires playing baseball, he just, in the simplest of forms, explained what thunder really was. And Imogen was mesmerized. Rose briefly wondered if the look of awe that was gracing her daughter's face was the same that she'd worn when she was child around Ian.

"Mummy," her daughter said, pulling Rose out of her thoughts. She moved beak to the sofa and grinned as the little girl crawled off Ian's lap and into hers. "Did you know that the thunder is actually the sound of lightning?"

Her eyes widened in mock, but sincere, interest. "Really? That's amazing. Not so scary then?" As if on cue, more thunder hit.

"I still don't like it," she admitted, burrowing closer into Rose.

Ian nodded sympathetically and handed the little girl a chocolate biscuit. "Neither do I, but at least when we think about it in scientific terms it's not so scary. Right?" Imogen looked like she didn't understand half of what he just said, but she happily took a bite of her treat and gave a nod. "You know, the Native Americans have some fascinating legends about thunder. Would you like to hear them?"

Imogen looked to Rose for approval. She could say no. It was late, way past the child's bedtime, and the responsible thing to do would be to put her to bed and say goodnight to Ian. And forget that kissed ever happened. But she wasn't ready to let Ian go. Not yet. "Well, if we're going to be telling stories, we better get comfortable. Let me go grab some blankets and pillows!"

"Yay!" her daughter cheered.

There was something about Ian's voice that she'd always found intriguing. He could have been a professional storyteller. Was that even a real thing? If it was, Ian should be one. It was comforting, lying there listening to Ian tell stories of far aways places and the legends that come with them. It was familiar. How many times had they done this in years past? Memories of stargazing in the Noble's backyard filled her mind. So many nights they would spend out there as Wilf and and Ian took turns sharing stories of the stars. It was the best of times. Something she'd secretly hoped she could recreate with her daughter someday. If they couldn't have that, at least they could have this. Or maybe it was a dream, she thought as she cuddled closer to her daughter, unwilling to open her eyes and wake up just yet. So many mornings she'd opened her eyes only to realise the the reunion she thought had taken place was merely a figment of her time spent with morpheus. She wasn't willing to let go of this one yet. Not when she still had that kiss to think about, brief as it may have been. She'd dreamed of similar moments before, but no matter how heated her dreams may have been, never had a kiss felt so... intimate.

A shuffling sound finally brought Rose out of her dozy haze. Opening her, eyes, she was met with the sight of her daughter, curled into her side and wrapped in the quilt off their bed. Looking around for the source of the noise that woke her, she was met with the sight of Ian, yet again, staring at the paintings on the wall.

Not a dream then.

"You stayed," she said, just loud enough for him to hear.

Ian turned and rubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw before giving her a soft grin. "Of course I stayed."

* * *

**Please review! xoxo**


	8. 24 and 34 (Part Three)

**A/N: Many thanks to everyone who has followed, favourited, and reviewed this story. You are all lovely. Just one more chapter after this, plus the epilogue!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related that all goes to the BBC.**

***Bonus points if you spot the How I Met Your Mother reference or the David Tennant quote ;)**

* * *

~24 and 34~ (Part Three)

"Come on! Help me!" Ian whinged into his mobile. He was well aware of how childish and silly he sounded, but the responding giggle on the other line made it all worth it.

_"What do you need help with? You're a guy planning a stag do. How difficult can it be?" _Rose asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Ian huffed. "Yeah, but this is a stag do for Jack Harkness. I know Ianto's told you the stories about him."

_"Yeah, he has,"_ she replied knowingly.

He shivered. "Stop. Right. There. I do not want to know what Ianto has shared with you."

_"Spoil sport."_

"I know plenty about Jack, ta so much. I don't need to know about his and his fiancé's sexcapades."

Rose gasped. _"I never said anything about sexcapades. That's where your dirty mind went, sir."_

Ian smiled. It had been three months since he'd been reunited with Rose and three months since he'd seen her, though they'd spoke practically every day on the phone since. Thinking back to when he offered to walk Rose and her daughter home, he'd honestly had no intention of spending the night, but when the thunder storm started and Imogen came running out, scared as most children were, Ian felt his heart melt. Watching Rose comfort the little girl, Ian wanted to be apart of that. Something inside him wanted to reach out and pull those girls into his arms and be his family. The intense and suddenness of those feelings frightened him. He'd only been reunited with Rose for a few hours and had just barely learned of Imogen's existence, but there it was.

It could have something to do with the almost kiss that happened between them seconds before the thunder struck. He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about that moment. What had he been thinking? It was Rose, his sweet little Rose. Except she wasn't so little anymore. They were both adults, and it wasn't like he'd ever had any romantic notions towards her before that day. Everything had always been so innocent up until that moment he saw her in that cafe in Cardiff. He recalled what Joan had told him that day he'd gone to find Rose. The day she had ended their relationship.

'Ian, darling, I'm not saying anything inappropriate has ever happened between you two. I'm not saying you've even had thoughts about her romantically. But someday you're going to have to sit down and examine your relationship with that girl. Because the two of you? What you two have isn't normal.'

He'd thought a lot about that statement over the years. At first he'd thought it was utter poppycock (a sentiment he would not be repeating aloud), but the more he thought about it, the more he realised just how true it was. What he and Rose had... It wasn't normal, but it was special. A fact that only became truer when he found himself comparing every person he met to Rose. He had other friends, of course. There was Jack, and eventually Ianto and Lee, not to mention the few dates he'd gone on, and they were all lovely in their own ways, but none compared to what he had with Rose. Now she was back, and sitting with her there that night, pleading with her to come home, he couldn't help himself. And he could see it in her eyes, she wanted more too. He was almost positive that she was just about to return the pressure of his lips on hers when the weather interrupted.

_"Ian?"_ Rose called out from the other side of the mobile, pulling him from his thoughts. _"Earth to Ian? I can hear you breathing so I know you're still there."_

"Sorry, sorry! I'm here. I was just... uh... grading some papers and I got distracted," he said, only giving a little white lie. Technically, he was supposed to be grading papers, that's just not what distracted him.

_"Well, what'd ya call me for if you're so busy?"_

"I told you, I need help. Help me, Rose," he pleaded.

She chuckled. _"I don't know what you want me to do. Haven't you ever been to a stag party before?"_

"Of course I have!"

"_Alright then, no need to sound so offended. Aren't stag parties all the same? Booze, strippers, the works?" _she asked.

"Yeah, I guess. And in other circumstances that would be great for Jack, but in this circumstance he's marrying Ianto and Ianto is not a fan off all that stuff."

_"Isn't his brother-in-law planning something for 'im? I thought you were just in charge of Jack's?"_

Ian groaned. "Yes, that's true, but Jack let it slip that he's worried about what the brother-in-law has planned for his fiancé. Apparently he's a nice guy, but is a lot different than Ianto and whatever he may have planned might make Ianto uncomfortable. He wants me to plan something and then try to get the brother -in-law to agree to it as well. So now I have to plan a stag party that will please Always Ends Up Naked Jack Harkness and his notoriously calmer fiancé, Ianto Jones."

Rose made a 'hm" noise. _"Okay, that does make things a little more difficult. Ooooh! I just thought of something! Awhile back I was shooting a wedding for this couple who practiced sober living. The groom told me that for his stag do, they went on this personalised treasure hunt around the city. Something like that could be fun! And then you could all go to the pub after it's done."_

"Rose Tyler, you are brilliant!"

_"I do my best,"_ she responded and he could practically hear the tongue in teeth grin he was sure she was giving. _"So, now that you've got a plan, I should let you go."_

Leaning back in his chair, Ian said, "I suppose so. These papers aren't going to grade themselves and I need to get them finished before I meet Sarah Jane for lunch."

_"Sarah Jane?" _she questioned, with what Ian assumed (hoped) was a hint of jealousy.

"An old friend of my mother's from university. She called me up out of the blue a few days ago and asked if we could get together. Said she had a few things of my mum's she wanted to give me."

Rose exhaled. _"Oh. That's nice of her. Will you be alright though?"_

He sniffed. "I'm always alright."

_"Yeah. Okay."_

"Same time tomorrow?"

_"Yep."_

"Come home, Rose," he requested not for the first time.

He heard her give a heavy sigh. _"Goodbye, Ian."_

"Bye, Rose."

Hitting the end button on his mobile, Ian closed his eyes and began rubbing his temples. Come home. It was a request he'd made several times since he'd last seen Rose. It started with that night, which of course lead to the almost-kiss. He continued it the next morning, after she'd woken up and discovered that he hadn't left her in the middle of the night. He stayed and took the Tyler girls for breakfast before he had to meet Donna back at their hotel so they could leave for the train together. As they were giving their final farewells, Ian turned to her one last time and repeated his come home plea. Rose merely smiled and said, "Goodbye, Ian." And so the tradition began. Whenever the pair neared the end of their conversation, Ian would request she come home and Rose would tell him goodbye. They were nothing if not consistent.

As his day went on, Ian had to put all thoughts of Rose and his wish for her to return to London in the back of his mind. He had papers to grade, a lesson plan to prepare, and a lunch with his mum's old uni friend planned. A lunch that proved to be just as difficult as he feared. He had fond memories of Sarah Jane form when he was a child. He remembered how often she would come over to have tea with his mum and how one Christmas she knit him a ridiculously long scarf that he thought was the absolute coolest thing he'd even seen. It had been a long time since he thought of that scarf, yet another victim of the fire that destroyed his home and family. Sitting now at the desk in his front room, he took a moment to look at the few pictures Sarah Jane had passed onto him. A lump formed in his throat as he looked at an image of his mother back when she had first started university. There were so few pictures that had survived the fire, and none of them were from when his mother was this young. At the bottom of the pile was a picture of his parents shortly after they'd met. He chuckled at his father's unruly curls, styled in an absurd afro. What his mum had seen in him, Ian wasn't sure, but it was obvious by the looks on their faces that even that early on in their relationship they were head over heels for each other. Ian wanted that. And he knew exactly who he wanted it with. As if on cue, his mobile dinged, indicating that he'd just received a text from the very person he'd been thinking of.

**'You awake?' **it read.

Ian glanced at his watch and frowned. It was only 10:30, of course he was awake, but Rose shouldn't be. Or least, she shouldn't be texting him. Rose had a very strict rule of no phone calls or text messages after 9:00 pm due to Rose and Imogen sharing a room and Imogen's early bedtime. A fact that also bothered Ian to no end. Rose said it was just temporary, until she could afford a two bedroom flat, but if Ian had his way, that two bedroom flat would be in London. Shaking out of those thoughts, he returned back to the text. He considered simply writing back to her, but knew that if she was reaching out to him at this time in the first place, something must be wrong. Instead, he opted to call.

_"Hello?"_ a shaky voice answered.

He frowned. "Rose? What's wrong? Is Imogen alright?"

_"Yeah, yeah. We're fine. sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. You weren't asleep yet were you?"_

"You didn't wake me. Don't need much sleep, me. What's going on though? Not that I'm not happy to hear from you," he added, not wanting her to feel guilty for reaching out.

She inhaled sharply. _"I just... I don't know what to do and I didn't know who to call. I'm so lost. I'm a rubbish mum and everything is falling apart and I-"_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he cut her off. "Where is all this coming from?"

_"I had two major clients cancel on me, and they were shoots I was really counting on. I have bills to pay! So now I'm going to have to get a second job, but I don't know how I'm supposed to leave Imogen that long when she hates being left with the neighbour. Today, when I left her for just a bit, she had an anxiety attack! An anxiety attack, Ian! My four year old! What the hell am I supposed to do? The only thing I'm good at is painting and that doesn't provide any sort of income. God, I'm a mess!"_

"Okay, Rose? Love? I need you to calm down and take some deep breaths. You've got yourself so worked up you're putting yourself into an anxiety attack and that's not going to help anyone right now. Listen to the sound of my breathing and breathe with me, okay?" After a full minute, of exaggerated breathing, when Ian was sure Rose had calmed, he asked, "Better?"

She sniffled. _"Better. I'm so embarrassed. Just... Just forget I called, yeah?"_

Ian held up a hand before realising she could see the gesture. "Hey now! None of that. You can call me anytime, for anything. Now, let's talk about this. You had two clients cancel you said? Do you have any sort of cancelation fee?"

_"Only if they cancel within a month of the scheduled event. Both parties gave me plenty of notice."_

Ian scrubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Rose. What was this you said about a second job though? Is that necessary?"

She gave a humourless chuckle. _"Unfortunately, if we want a roof over our head and food to eat, yes. Rhys offered me a job at Cooper's."_

"As a photographer?" he asked, confused why a restaurant would need a photographer.

_"No. As a waitress. It's not ideal, but if I'm not booking clients consistently then I need some sort of steady paycheck. But Imogen... Her separation anxiety is horrible. And I know it's my fault. We were spoiled in Belfast. The restaurant I worked at while I was there was owned by this lovely family who let me bring her to work with me, and even offered to keep an eye on her when I started booking clients there as a photographer. The only reason I left there in the first place was because they had a family issue pop up and they ended up selling the restaurant and moving away," _Rose grumbled. _"I thought it would be okay here in Cardiff. I knew it would be rough on her at first, but I thought she would adjust and she's not. I went to go meet with Rhys and his girlfriend today about working at Cooper's and when I got back she was in the middle of a full on anxiety attack. Mrs. Raffalo was just about to call me and tell me to come home. I was only gone a half hour, Ian."_

"Okay. It's going to be okay, Rose. We'll figure this out. We'll-" A small voice calling for her mum in the background cut him off.

Rose groaned. _"Shit. Shit. Shit! Im's awake. I've got to go. Listen, Ian, just forget I called. You're right, everything will be okay. I'm just being silly."_

Ian opened his mouth to respond only to realise she'd hung up. He tossed his mobile down and began rubbing his temples. Rose was clearly in need of some help whether she would want to except it or not. And judging by the way she ended their phone call, he was guessing not. There had to be something he could, someway he could... He glanced down at a picture of his mum and Sarah Jane and suddenly a thought struck him. Maybe there was something. Pulling out his laptop, he began his research.

* * *

It had been three weeks since Rose broke down and called Ian, a phone call she was mortified ever took place. It had been a moment of weakness, something she'd tried to explain to him when they spoke the next day. She had just got a weepy Imogen down for bed and had sat down to take a look at their finances. She panicked and found herself dialing Ian's number without really thinking about it, a clear mistake. She knew Ian was plotting something, probably some sort of plan to sneak money into her bank account, but it really wasn't his job to take care of her. She was an adult and she'd figure things out for herself. In the meantime, she would just have to be more careful with what she spent. Pushing all that aside, Rose set her mind on the task at hand. Tomorrow afternoon Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones would be wed and Rose was determined to provide them with as many pictures of the happy occasion as possible.

Rose giggled as she snapped some pictures of Donna, Ian, Jack, and Ianto's sister and brother-in-law playing cards. It must have been going well for Ian because all of a sudden he jumped up and exclaimed, "Yes! That's how you play the game of cards!" He made a check mark on the scoreboard they set up. "And then this happens and you go woohoohoohoo!"

Donna rolled her eyes at her cousin's antics. "Yeah, but you're still three behind me."

He smirked at her. "Looks like we have a few more games to play then."

Quickly snapping more pictures, Rose was surprised when Ianto appeared beside her, holding out a glass of wine. "You know," he started, "we invited you here tonight as our guest, not our photographer. It's just an informal rehearsal dinner. You can put the camera down for a bit."

"Ah, but this is when the real memories are made. These are the times you'll look back on and miss. I want to capture it all for you," she told him.

"And I love you for that, but relax for a bit. You're not looking yourself."

"Oi!"

He chuckled. "Let me clarify, you look lovely, just thinner and you're wearing more makeup than usual ,which leads me to believe you're trying to hide some circles under your eyes."

"You sir," she poked his chest, "are far too observant. I'm little stressed out, but fine. I'm fine. I'm one hundred percent fine."

Ianto looked at her closely. "Once more and I'll believe you."

"Yan..."

"I hear you're taking a second job."

"Yeah? Where'd you hear that."

He cleared his throat. "Pillow talk. Jack is rather chatty after-"

She nudged his shoulder. "And you can stop right there, mister."

He winked. "Ian shared with Jack and he shared with me. So tell me, how are you really? You and Imogen both?"

"Things will be tight for awhile, but it's fine. We might have to look for a different flat... Again. My main concern is Imogen. I've been looking up some different methods for separation anxiety. Hopefully something will help with that."

"Where is the little one?"

"Over playing with Josh and Ella. Lee's keeping an eye on them. It's nice, you know, that they're all getting along. Thanks for letting her come."

Ianto nodded. "Of about Ian though?" he asked.

"What about him?" she countered. "I shouldn't have called him and he shouldn't have said anything to Jack. I can take care of myself, Yan."

"Never said you couldn't. I've known you for a long time, Rose. I was with you as you made your way through your pregnancy. You did it all on your own then, but you don't have to now. You have family and friends who will gladly help," he told her.

Rose leaned over and kissed his cheek before repeating his earlier sentiments, "And I love you for that, but I don't need help."

"Well good luck telling him that." He nodded towards Ian.

And she would need it. The next day, anytime Ian wasn't with Jack, he was trying desperately to seek Rose out. Thankfully, she always had the excuse of her job to sneak away, though as the wedding passed and the reception began, it became more difficult. Rose didn't want his pity. She didn't want to be a project to him, someone he still needed to take care of after all these years. What she wanted from him was to see her as he clearly never would. And that was okay. Who was she to try and pursue a relationship with him anyway? They were two very different people and being friends is all they would ever be. Her heart was safer that way. Imogen's heart would be safer that way. The last thing the little girl needed was her mum trying to pursue a relationship with someone. Rose wasn't going to do that. Not with Ian, not with anyone. Seeking her daughter out, Rose peered around the dance floor and spotted Imogen dancing with the other children, including Donna's twins and Ianto's niece and nephew. It warmed her heart and gave her hope that perhaps her daughter would grow out of her shyness and separation anxiety.

"Looks like she's having fun," a familiar voice noted from behind.

"Yeah, she does," she agreed, turning slowly, finally face to face with Ian after hours of avoiding him.

"Haven't seen you out there all night," he observed.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well the photographer doesn't usually take dance breaks."

As the music changed from an upbeat number to a slow one, Ian grinned. "But you could! Come on, nothing exciting is happening that needs photographing and even if it was, your mate Jake can take care of it," he said referencing her second photographer.

She sighed. "Ian, I'm trying to work."

"Come on," he held out his hand. "The world doesn't end because Rose Tyler dances."

Unable to ignore his large brown puppy dog eyes, Rose passed off her camera to Jake and took Ian's hand, allowing him to lead her to the middle of the dance floor. "I can't believe we're doing this." After a moment of just standing in Ian's arms, Rose finally squeezed his hand. "You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them. That is, if you've got the moves."

His eyes lit up. "Are you saying I don't know how to dance?"

"You've got the moves? Show me your moves," she teased with a tongue in teeth grin as he began swaying back and forth. Rose took a deep breath, revealing in the feeling of Ian's arms wrapped around her. Friends they may be, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the moment, right? Friends dance. Sometimes...

"So, tell me again why you don't want to move home to London," he requested casually.

"Really?" she asked. "You want to do this now?"

"Humour me."

"My job, a place to live, childcare for Imogen, where do you want me to start, Ian?" she snapped.

He smiled, despite her ire. "What if I told you I could help with all those things?"

"I don't need help."

"I know," he said softly. "Remember my mum's mate Sarah Jane? The one I met for lunch a few weeks ago? Well, she's this journalist right, and she mentioned to me that she's looking for someone to accompany her on assignments. Specifically, a photographer. I showed her your pictures and she was impressed."

She shook her head. "I'm flattered, but I'm an event photographer."

"That doesn't matter to her. The job pays well, Rose, and it would offer you a lot of freedom when it comes to being there for Imogen and time to paint. See I looked it up and found these art classes you could take and-"

"I couldn't afford to move London, Ian. I can barely afford my one bedroom flat here."

He pulled her closer as he said, "I can help with that."

She took a step back, but remained in his arms. "I won't do that. I won't except your charity."

"It wouldn't be charity, Rose," he insisted vehemently. "Consider it a loan, we can draw up plans and everything for you to pay me back."

Rose felt a lump rise in her throat. "Why do you want me to come back to London so badly?"

Ian blew out a long breath. "Oh, several reasons. Most of them are for yours and Imogen's well being. A few of them are purely selfish."

"Selfish?" she questioned.

He looked straight into her eyes and Rose swore it was like he could see right into her soul. Her heart sped up as he bent down and whispered in her ear, "Oh, I'm a very selfish man, Rose Tyler." As he pulled back, her breath caught. "I truly want what's best for you though. If you really think that staying in Cardiff is what will make that happen, say the word and I won't ask you again."

"I'm scared," she admitted.

"Of what, love?"

"Everything. What if I just fail at everything."

Ian looked away for a moment before turning back to her. "I've seen a lot of this world. I've seen good things and bad things, met thing kindest cruelest people out there, encountered moments that have made me doubt my very existence, and out of all that, if I believe in one thing, just one thing, I believe in you."

"What ares you two doing?" Rose and Ian both jumped in surprise when they realised that they had stopped dancing and were merely standing in each other's arms in the middle of the dance floor. The slow song that had originally been playing, long done. Jack and Ianto were watching them, each wearing an amused expression.

With a sniff, Ian told them, "We were dancing."

Jack coughed into his hand, trying to hide a smile. "Didn't look like dancing."

Rose glanced at Ian. "Didn't feel like dancing."

"Well, whatever it was, we'll leave you to it," Ianto said kindly as he pulled his husband back into their own dance.

Grabbing her hand, Ian lead Rose off the dance floor and over to a more private corner of the reception hall. "You never said and I need to know. Do you want to stay in Cardiff?"

She considered her options. She could stay in Cardiff, she really could. It would be difficult, but they would make things work. Or, she could take the leap and run back to London. It too would be difficult, and there was a good chance she'd mess everything up... But Ian would never let that happen. Ian would always be there to hold her hand. "Ask me again," she requested.

He looked confused, but complied, "Do you want to stay in Cardiff?"

Rose bit her lip twisted her fingers with his nervously. "Not that. Ask me, Ian. Ask me one more time."

Recognition dawned and a wide grin split Ian's face. "Come home, Rose."

"Okay."

* * *

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	9. 25 and 35

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I was having issues with my internet. This is it, kids! Just an epilogue to go! Thanks to everyone who's followed, favorited, and reviewed. I adore you all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

* * *

~25 and 35~

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mum," Rose greeted wearily after giving the cab driver her address.

_"Oh, Rose,"_ Jackie cooed,_ "sweetheart, you sound exhausted. Are you just now getting in?"_

She pulled her mobile away and glanced at the clock in the screen. "Yeah, yeah I am. Sarah Jane and I were on an assignment in Leadworth. Sorry, Mum, I didn't even think about the time. You weren't sleeping, were ya?

Her mother tisked. _"Course not, sweetheart, I was just sitting down with a final cuppa before bed. 'Sides wouldn't matter if I was asleep. I'll always answer. I called you first, you were just returning it."_

Rose smiled. It had been a little over a year since she'd returned to London and though their relationship remained strained at first, thanks to long talks and a little help from Ian, Rose and Jackie's relationship was stronger than ever. Ian sat the two women down and convinced them to air all their grievances, no matter how painful the process may be. It took several visits, but in the end, her mother had apologised profusely for the way she'd treated Rose when she learned of her pregnancy. She was frustrated and scared and instantly regretted her behaviour, but was unsure how to fix it. Rose in turn apologised for her own childish and immature behaviour, starting back to when she first ran away. It was painful, but so worth it.

"I know, Mum. Was there something in particular you needed?"

_"I just wanted to know if you and Imogen were still coming over for tea tomorrow?"_

"Is tomorrow Saturday?" she asked.

_"Yes,"_ Jackie answered impatiently.

Rose giggled. "Then we'll be there."

_"Just making sure, sweetheart. I know how things pop up unexpectedly and I don't want you to feel like you have to spend time with your old mum when you could be out with mates or on a date, maybe."_

"Trust me, Mum, there's no mates or dates, or anything else, rhyming or not."

Jackie snorted. _"What about Ian?"_

"What about 'im?" she responded, feeling immediately defensive.

_"You two aren't foolin' anyone, Rose Marion. I don't know why you're hiding it. I know there's an age difference there that, yes, would have bothered me once upon a time, but now..."_ she sighed. _"Well, he treats you right, sweetheart, and he loves my granddaughter to bits."_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Mum, Ian and I aren't... We're not... We're just..."

_"What?"_

Rose groaned. "I don't know. We just are, I guess. We don't really talk about it or try to define it."

Her mother gave a long sigh. _"And why not? Honestly, Rose, the man is arse over elbow for you."_

With a gasp of shock, she exclaimed, "Mum!"

_"Well, he is!"_

"I don't know why," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

_"Now what would make you go and say a thing like that? Hm? Rose?"_ Jackie questioned.

"Why would he want to be with me when he could literally be with anybody else?" Rose pinched the bridge of her nose as she went on, "I'm nothing special. I'm a single mum whose lucky if there's not some sort stain on her clothes or if she even remembers to brush her own hair in the morning."

Jackie gave a sympathetic chuckle. _"Oh, sweetheart. I've seen the way he looks at ya, and I don't think a bit of that matters to him. Tell me the truth, do you love him? And not just regular love, are you in love with that man?"_

Smiling, she answered, "More than anything."

_"Then tell him, silly girl!"_

"I'll try. That's all I can promise."

_"You better. Neither of you are too old for a slap and if that's what it takes to knock some sense in to ya, I'll do it!"_

Rose took a moment to pull the money she had set aside for cab fare out of her messenger bag before exiting the car and heading inside her building. "I don't doubt that, Mum, but listen, I'm home now so I'm gonna get off. Im and I will be at your place at six tomorrow, okay?"

_"Alright, sweetheart, and bring Ian along,"_ her mother added. _"It's been ages since he's had my shepherd's pie and I'm sure he's missed it."_

Rose grinned widely. "I'm sure he has, but let me ask him first before you count on him. He might have plans."

"_You'll be busy, what other plans would he have?"_ Jackie teased.

"Goodbye, Mum! Love you!"

_"Love you too, Rose."_

Rose reveled in her mum's parting words. She had gone so long without hearing those sentiments, had gone so long thinking she would never hear them again, that she cherished each moment they now had. She'd always known, of course. No matter what happened between the two of them, there had never been any real doubt in her mind about Jackie's love for her, just as Rose always loved her mum. And now, after years of separation and not speaking, they were able to voice those sentiments. It helped when they started their weekly get togethers for tea, which had all been Ian's idea. After the mother and daughter's first rocky meeting in several years, Ian suggested they get together weekly, not to argue or bring up the past, but to get to know each other as they are now. It would also give Jackie an opportunity to build a relationship with her granddaughter. An opportunity she was not taking for granted. It warmed Rose's heart to see how much Imogen adored her gran. The little girl loved spending time with the older Tyler woman and would often spend their time together, begging Jackie to share stories of when Rose was a little girl. Between Ian and Jackie, Imogen had heard many tales of her mum's childhood adventures and mishaps.

A grin split her face as Rose thought about her little girl. True, her daughter was still incredibly shy and occasionally dealt with anxiety, but the improvement she'd made was astounding. And Rose knew exactly who had a big hand in that. Jackie wasn't exaggerating when she said that Ian loved Imogen to bits, he really did. Back when Rose was still living in Belfast and working at a restaurant, one of the fellow waitresses, Astrid, warned Rose that there would be a time where a guy would try to get to Rose romantically through Imogen. Rose had shrugged off the warning. She was raised by a single mum and knew exactly the games men would play when dating or trying to date her mum. It was old hat for Rose and since she had no intention of dating anyone while raising Imogen, she felt that it wouldn't be anything for her to worry about. Then Ian reentered her life. She knew that if Astrid were to see the situation she would probably give Rose a raised eyebrow accompanied by another warning of Ian only wanting one thing, but Rose had no worries where he was concerned. She knew in her heart how genuine Ian was in his efforts to get to know and be there for Imogen and it had nothing with wanting to simply sleep with Rose. A thought that was entirely absurd in itself.

Not that there wasn't a bit of romance in their relationship, though Rose wasn't lying when she couldn't explain what her relationship with Ian was. They held hands constantly, hugged whenever the situation called for (sometimes when it didn't), and occasionally snogged, but they never spoke about it. Never tried to define what they were. For the most part, Rose was okay with that. There was safety in denial and she worried that if they spoke out loud about what they were, it might ruin everything, and losing Ian again was the last thing she wanted.

All those thoughts slipped her mind as she entered her flat and was met with the most precious sight that she would never tire of seeing. A sight she was determined to commit to memory and hold on to for the rest of her days. It wasn't her daughter's schoolbag that had been left precariously half open next to the front door. It wasn't the half empty bowl of popcorn on the floor or the biscuit crumbs littered on her coffee table. And it most certainly wasn't the dvd menu of The Lion King playing on loop on the television. No, it was Ian Noble lying supine on her sofa with Imogen sprawled across his chest in pajamas that were incredibly close to being too small for her, both sound asleep. She smiled softly as she tiptoed closer and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. Sensing her presence hovering over him, Ian's eyes fluttered open.

"You're home," he greeted.

"I'm home," she confirmed.

He yawned. "It's late."

Rose ran a hand through Ian's hair and tried desperately to hold back a giggle as he nuzzled her hand like a cat. "It's just after ten, old man. What happened to you not needing much sleep?"

"I wasn't sleeping. I was resting my eyes," he insisted.

She bit her lip, hiding a smile. "Whatever you say, but I'm pretty sure Im is sleeping, so let me get her into bed, yeah?" He hummed in agreement, moving his arms so Rose was able to lift her daughter off his chest. As carefully as possible, Rose carried Imogen to her bedroom and got her under the covers without waking, an achievement that Rose most certainly applauded herself on. Heading towards the kitchen to fix herself a cuppa, she saw the Ian had beat her to the punch.

"Go sit down," he told her. "I'll bring your tea to you."

"You're a gem, you are," she said, not even trying to argue. Walking back into the living area, she found that Ian had also picked up the mess he and Im had left behind and put away the dvd they had been watching. Settling herself on the sofa, she flipped on the telly and scoured for something to watch. She stopped suddenly on a news program when something, or rather someone, caught her eye.

"Oh my god," she exhaled, her breathes becoming quickly erratic. Her vision began to swim and had she been asked and able to offer a coherent response, Rose would have insisted she was having a heart attack. It wasn't until she felt Ian's hands in hers that she even realised he had entered the room and was kneeling in front of her.

"Rose?" he called out to her, cradling her hands. "Talk to me, love. Tell me what's going on."

With great effort, she responded, "I can't breathe. Ian... I can't breathe."

"You can breathe, Rose. You're doing it right now. Just focus on me and we can do it together. Yeah? You know what to do. Deep breath in, hold it for three, and release." Ian had her follow this pattern several time until both were sure she had calmed enough to explain what had happened. "What was that about?" he questioned, not unkindly.

"It's Adam," she answered, her eyes focused on the screen of the television.

"Who?"

"Adam, Imogen father. H-he was on the news. Something a-about being sent back to London, and fraud, and I don't know, I missed most of the story. Oh, god. Do you realise what this means?! He's in London. Adam is in London. What if he tries to look us up? What if, what if he wants to see Imogen? Oh my god, he'll want joint custody. I'm going to have to split time with her! She won't understand. She, she-"

Ian let go of her hands and moved to sit next to her on the sofa, drawing her into his side. "Rose, listen to me. Nothing like that is going to happen. You haven't even spoke to him since you first found out you were pregnant, and don't forget, he didn't even believe the baby was his. Did you list him on the birth certificate?" She shook her head. "There you go then. Here, let's see what's going on." He pulled out his mobile and looked up the story Rose had caught part of on the news. "Okay, says here that he's been deported to the UK from the States and is facing several several serious charges, the least of which being fraud. Apparently he was stealing company ideas, among other things, from his former employer, Van Statten Inc. He's looking at years of jail time. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

She bit her lip. "But what if-"

Placing a finger under her chin, he turned her face toward him. "Rose, I would never let anything happen to you or Imogen."

"Yeah?" she asked, her eyes watery with tears.

"Yep!" he exclaimed popping the p. "You're stuck with me."

She gave him a tongue in teeth grin. "Stuck with you? That's not so bad." He waggled his eyebrows causing Rose to giggle. "Enough talk of Adam, how was Imogen's day?"

He nodded. "Good, good. There's a new little boy in her class and Miss Wright told me Imogen instantly befriended him."

"She did?!" Rose was shocked, her daughter was still so incredibly shy, she usually waited for kids to approach her.

"Mmhm. Sweet lad. I met him and his parents as we were leaving the school."

"Wow. Maybe I'll see about inviting him over for a play date. Thanks for picking her up today, by the way. The assignment in Leadworth took much longer than Sarah Jane and I thought it would."

"Of course. You know I love spending time with Imogen."

Rose began twisting her hands nervously as she prepared to share her next bit of news. "I got a phone call today."

Ian quirked an eyebrow. "Did you?"

"Yeah, it was, uh, it was from Mister Skinner. The manager of Linda's Coffee House. He said," she swallowed, "he said he sold one of my paintings."

"What!? Rose's that brilliant! Come here, you!" He jumped off the sofa, pulling her with him, and embraced her.

Rose hid her smile in the crook of his neck as her feet dangled just off the ground. "It was just one of their frequent customers. It's not like my paintings are in a gallery or anything," she said bashfully.

Putting her back on her feet, Ian pulled back. "But, look at you! It's a start. An amazing start."

"I love you," she blurted without thinking. Surprised and mortified with herself, she started to back away, but Ian's tight grip on her arms stopped her.

"Oh, Rose Tyler," he muttered, leaning his head against hers, before moving his lips to the shell of her ear, "I love you too."

* * *

"Alright, what did you drag me here for? You said you had something you wanted me to see?" Ian's cousin, Donna, asked when they finally made it to his private safety deposit box at the bank.

Ian rolled his eyes at her attitude, knowing that was just how she was. "I wanted to show you this," he responded pulling out a small, black velvet box from the safe.

She looked unimpressed. "A ring? You want to show me a..." she trailed off, realisation dawning. "Oh my god! Oh my god! You and Rose are getting married?!"

"Well, I haven't asked her yet," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But we know she's going to say yes!"

"Actually, I don't know that." And he was telling the truth. It had been a month and a half since he and Rose had confessed their love for each other, and though they were growing more comfortable with their relationship, they still hadn't fully defined it. With unspoken agreement, they had chosen to limit the amount of affection they showed for one another in front of Imogen, and it was that reason alone Ian was unsure of what Rose's answer to his proposal would be. He knew how protective she was of her daughter, and worried that that protectiveness might get in the way of their future together. He tried desperately to show Rose how much he cared about, not only her, but Imogen as well. When he thought about his future, it wasn't just Rose he wanted in it. It was her beautiful little girl as well. A little girl who, so like her mother, had stolen his heart almost immediately.

Donna lightly hit the back of his head. "Don't be an idiot, Spaceman," she said affectionally. "If Rose doesn't say yes, I'll eat my hat collection."

Ian held the ring up to the light. "Do you think she'll like it? It was my mum's. Actually, it was her mum's first. The only reason I have it is because she'd sent it off to be cleaned and resized a few days before the fire."

"Oh, Ian."

"I thought it might be nice for Rose. What do you think? Maybe she would rather have something new. Do you think she'd rather not wear this one? I could get something different."

She laughed lightly. "I think you're asking the wrong girl those questions. For the record, I think she'll love it and I think she'll love the fact that you want her to wear you're mum's ring. But if you're that unsure, see what she thinks after you ask her."

He bounced on the balls of his feet, exhaling loudly. "It's just... It's Rose, ya know? I want everything to be perfect."

"And it will be." Donna grinned. "Now tell me, is there anything I can do to help?"

Ian's eyes lit up. "Now that you mention it..."

It wasn't an elaborate plan, but he felt like for this situation, simple would be best. He thought after everything they've been through together, Rose might appreciate that more. It had been a year of ups and downs as Rose and Imogen adjusted to living in London, and Ian adjusted to having them there. True to his word, when Rose found a flat she deemed right for herself and her daughter, Ian sat down with his financial advisor drew up a payment plan with Rose. It wasn't that important to him. He could care less about Rose paying him back, but he knew it was what she needed to feel like she wasn't excepting any so called "charity." He knew in the long run it made Rose happy and that was all that mattered to him. Rose's happiness was key, as was Imogen's. He had truly enjoyed every minute he got to spend with Imogen, getting to know her better and better. Despite her bashfulness, she was absolutely hilarious when she wanted to be. Like her mother, she loved art, though Imogen's true passion was for dance. Ian had gifted the little girl with dance lessons for her birthday and she had been over the moon. With his plans of proposing to Rose, he had his own plans for asking Imogen a very important question. It was something he'd wanted for a long time, but with the news of Adam Mitchell being in London, he felt now, more than ever, it was time to pursue his plans. He had made a promise, not only to himself, but to Rose, that he would be there for them and keep both mother and daughter safe.

With help from Donna, and surprisingly Jackie Tyler (who had been called by his cousin), Ian began putting his plan in place. It started with Jackie asking Rose if she could have Imogen for the day, citing that she was desperate for time alone with her granddaughter. When hearing that, Rose was only happy to oblige. Next, Donna called Rose and asked for a girl's day out. The twins had just gotten over terrible colds and Donna really was dying to get out of the house for a bit. The two women went out for manicures and pedicures, before enjoying a light evening meal together. Donna said it was her treat, though really she used the money Ian had given her, insisting that they spoil themselves. Once they left the restaurant, Donna shot Ian a text to let them know they were on their way, having told Rose that there was something back at her house she wanted to show her. In this moment Ian was incredibly grateful that his Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Geoffrey had decided to downgrade and give Donna and Lee their house. Pacing the backyard, he felt his heart rate accelerate when he heard Donna's car pull up and Rose's voice fill the house.

"Go on and head back there," he heard Donna call out. "I'll be out in a mo'."

His world stopped spinning and his gaze focused as Rose stepped into the backyard, clearly surprised by Ian's presence. "W-what are you doing here?"

He held out his hand. "Come here," he requested.

She frowned, but did as he said. "Ian?"

"I spent hours, days really, trying to figure out what I would say in this moment. I had grand speeches plan, but we're so much more than that, aren't we? I love you, Rose. I love you so much." Getting down on one knee, Ian asked, "Will you marry me?"

She inhaled sharply. "Really? That's what you really want? Because it's not just me. There's Imogen to consider also. We're a package deal. You ask me and you're asking her too."

"Oh, I'd love nothing more."

"Okay."

He stood up, his hope barely contained. "Really?"

"Yes!" she laughed. "Yes, of course! Yes!"

Nothing in that moment could separate them. The Earth could be consumed in a ball of fire, but all Ian would be aware of was Rose's lips on his. It wasn't until he registered the small box in his pocket that he remembered something rather important. "I think I forgot to give you something," he said, reluctantly breaking their kiss, and pulling the ring out.

Rose held out a shaky left hand, looking in intense wonder as he slipped the piece of jewelry on her finger. "Oh my god. Ian, it's beautiful."

"It was my mother's. If you'd rather get something new, that 's completely-mmfph," he was cut off by Rose's lips on his once more.

After what could have been minutes, hours, or very possibly weeks, they finally moved apart. "You know," he started, "there's still one more question I need to ask someone. Come with me." Ian took her hand and led her across the yard, and toward's the neighbour's house. The house Rose had once lived in. Ian pulled out a key and opened the front door, much to Rose's apparent confusion.

"Ian, what are we doing here and why do you have a key?"

"Did you know this house was recently up for sale?"

"No."

He smirked. "Well, it was. But not anymore."

Rose gripped his hand tightly. "Are you saying you bought my old house?"

"It was a bold move, I know," he admitted, "but I just thought, if you said yes to my proposal, it would be a nice place to raise our family. If you'd rather not though..."

"It's perfect," she whispered. "I loved it here and I never thought... Thank you."

Ian smiled before shouting, "You can come out now!"

Little feet began pounding from the back of the house before a familiar voice was heard calling out, "Mummy! Ian! Gran told me she used to live here!"

Rose and Ian both knelt down to meet Imogen in an embrace. "Did she?" Rose asked. "And tell me, what would you think about living here?"

Her eyes grew wide. "For reals?"

Clearing his throat, Ian took the tiny blonde's hands in his. "For reals. See, I bought this house for me to share with you and your mum. Would that be alright?"

Imogen glanced at her mother and instantly spotted the new pice of jewelry she was wearing. "Are you guys getting married?"

"I asked her too, if that's okay with you. We're not going to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"That would mean you'd always be with us, yeah? All the time?"

He nodded. "Yep. Though I would make sure you two still had special time together."

A huge grin broke out on her face. "Okay!"

Ian and Rose both laughed in relief, before the former pulled something out of his pocket. "There's something else I want to ask you, Im, and you can tell me no, okay? It won't hurt my feelings or change how much I love you. And the option will always be there for you to accept."

Her eyes grew wide. "What is it?"

He gulped. "I was wondering if you would allow me to adopt you and became your dad. Would that... Would that be something you'd want?"

Imogen threw her arms around his neck and practically toppled him over. "Yes! Oh, yes!"

Ian pulled away, wiping tears from his eyes (and seeing Rose doing the same). "I have this necklace for you." He showed her the charm on the end. "It's a key, so you always know, that no matter what happens, no matter how old you get, or what mistakes you may make, you always have a place with me and your mum. Okay? We love you so much."

Rose gave a watery giggle before pulling her daughter and future husband into a hug, not even aware that Jackie was in the corner of the room snapping pictures. "How long are you going to stay with us?" she asked, leaning her head on Ian's shoulder.

"Forever, Rose Tyler."

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	10. 35 and 45 (The Epilogue)

**A/N: This is it! We've finally reached this end of this tale. Many thanks to my incredible followers, to everyone who favourited this one, and to all you lovely readers who take the time to review. I appreciate every single one of you and I thank you for sticking with me and this story. Special thanks to Ashlanielle for her unending support and for helping me pick a name for a character when I was stuck ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC.**

**Note: The Saatchi Gallery is a very real place, though I've used a bit of creative license with it. The British Ballet Company, however, is completely fictional, though based on a few different real life companies.**

**Side Note: if you're on Tumblr, I've been posting pictures to go along with each chapter. I'm over there as emkaywho.**

**Warning: Brief mentions of two minor character deaths.**

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~35 and 45~

This was it. She took a deep breath and smoothed down her tule skirt. This was a big night and she wanted to look just right. She wanted to look her very best.

"Are you almost ready? If we don't leave in the next few minutes we'll be late, and you know how your mother gets if we're late," she heard a familiar voice call out to her from another room.

She rolled her eyes. Yes, she knew very much how her mum could get whenever they ran late for anything. "Just a minute," she called back before realising that the person she was informing had moved to stand in the doorway of her room. "I just want to make sure I look alright," she added in a much quieter voice.

"You look beautiful, love," he told her, sincerity filling his voice.

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Thanks, Dad," fifteen year old Imogen said. "You look pretty handsome yourself."

Ian Noble grinned brightly before bering down to kiss his daughter on her forehead. "Let's go while your brother and sister still look somewhat presentable."

Imogen nodded at the truth in his statement. At seven, her younger brother, Noah, was a force to be reckoned with a personality exactly like his father's. He was given his name because the night he was born, there was a storm and a resulting flood that was the biggest Chiswick had ever seen. Rose had gone into labour so quickly that there was no way they would even have time to get to the hospital if they tried. They'd called for an ambulance, but with the rain and flooding the emergency vehicle was having a difficult time reaching them. With Jackie and Donna's help, the baby boy was born healthy and letting them all know that he had a healthy set of lungs. When the ambulance finally arrived, Ian made a joke about naming the baby Noah. Rose had laughed at first, but the name seemed to stick, and in the end they both agreed that Noah was the perfect name for the baby born during a flood. Then there was three year old Penelope, named after Ian's own mother. Though similar to Imogen in looks, the two sisters couldn't be more different in personality. Where Imogen was shy and quiet, Penelope was boisterous and loved to be the center of attention.

On cue, the three year old made her way into her big sister's bedroom. "Daddy? May I has this pwease?" she asked, holding up a large chocolate bar Noah had received at school for getting top marks.

"Well, thank you for asking so politely, but no you may not," Ian answered, kneeling so he was eye level with his youngest daughter. "First off, that's your brother's chocolate, not your's and I don't think he would be too pleased if you ate it. Second, we need to go see your mum, and don't you want to show her how you look in the new dress your gran bought you? I think she would like to see it without it being covered in chocolate."

"Fine," the toddler sighed dramatically.

Imogen took the chocolate bar from her sister and placed on a high shelf, out of Penelope's reach, making a mental note to tell her brother where she put it. "Come on, Pennylou," she said affectionately, taking the three year old's hand and leading her to the living area where their brother was clearly waiting impatiently.

"Finally!" he groaned, heaving himself off the floor.

Their father entered the room and stopped in his tracks when he saw the mess his son had made. "What's all this?"

Noah guiltily hid a few Legos behind his back. "I got bored," was his response.

"I can see that. I'm not going to make you pick them up now, or else we'll be late, but don't think you won't be picking these up when we get home later."

"But, Dad..."

Ian shook his head. "No buts, mister. Now, come on. We need to leave."

Helping her dad usher the kids to the car, Imogen grabbed the flowers they'd picked out earlier and locked their front door. As they drove, she mused about what a big night this was for their mum, a night that had been a long time coming. Though he was keeping up a steady flow of conversation with his two youngest children, Imogen could tell by the bounce in her father's leg just how nervous he was. His love for her mum was never something she doubted, from the moment he'd entered their lives, it had been a clear fact to her. She was just glad that she had been excused from her lessons for the day and evening. With the phone call she'd received that morning, it was clear that times like this with her family would be precious due to the busy schedule she would be embarking upon soon.

"We're here," Ian announced as he parked the car. Turning around in his seat, he looked at his children sternly. "Now remember, you need to be on your very best behaviours. Understood? If you can't behave, I won't hesitate to call Miss Clara and have her come and take you home, and you know how sad that would make your mum, right? This is a big night for her and she wants us all here for support. Okay?"

"Yes, Dad... M'kay, Daddy," the children answered simultaneously.

Penelope cleared her throat when she noticed someone had stayed silent. "Immy, you need to say okay to Daddy."

Imogen giggled, but looked at her dad and said as seriously as possible, "I promise to be on my very best behaviour tonight."

He winked. "See that you do. Especially if that boyfriend of your's shows up."

"Dad..."

"Allons-y, offspring!"

With Penelope's hand in Imogen's, and Noah walking beside their father, the Noble family made their way through the front doors of the Saatchi Gallery. The very same gallery Ian had once taken a young Rose to. As they made their way into their mother's exhibit, Imogen breath caught in her throat. For her entire life, she'd grown up with Rose's paintings on the walls of wherever they were living. She didn't remember a lot about the time before Ian married her mum and adopted her as his daughter, but some of her strongest memories of those times were watching Rose work on her art. And now, the paintings she's looked at almost every day of her life where hanging in a well known gallery. Her mum's dreams were coming true and it was wonderful to see.

Apparently their father felt the same because as soon as he caught sight of his wife, he raced toward her and pulled her into a tight embrace, swinging her around in circles, much to the delight of their children.

"Oh, Rose! Look at this place! It's brilliant!" he gushed, putting her back on her feet.

"Is it really alright?" she asked, nervously tugging on her dress. At the moment, the gallery was empty, save for her family. She'd wanted them to have a chance to look around before it was open to the public.

"Rose Noble, it's more than alright. Didn't I tell you? I said all those years ago, I said that there was no doubt in my mind that I would be standing right here looking at one of your paintings. And here I am!"

Imogen let go of her sister's hand and went to hug her mum. "It really is amazing. I'm so proud of you, Mum."

"Oh, thank you, sweetheart. And look at you! You look so beautiful, so grown up," Rose said, tears framing her eyes.

She laughed. "Mum, why are you crying? Blimey, you're never this emotional."

The older woman sniffed. "Just stress, I suppose."

Ian snorted and, much to his wife's displeasure, mumbled under his breath, "Stress. Right." Imogen narrowed her eyes at the comment, but decided not to pursue it. Her parents would share when they were ready.

"What about me, Mummy!? Do you wike my dress?" her youngest daughter asked with a twirl.

"You, my love, are gorgeous! Is that the dress Granny picked out for you?"

Penelope nodded. "Yep! Just for tonight! And wook! No chocowate!"

"That's nice, sweetheart." Rose then moved to take in her son's appearance. "And look at you, Sir Noah! So handsome in that suit and tie!"

The little boy huffed and rand his hands through his thick brown hair, in a manner similar to his father. "Dad made me wear it. I wanted to wear my leather jacket, but he said that wasn't 'propriate," he commented with an eye roll.

"Well, I appreciate your sacrifice," she told him dryly.

"I like your paintings, Mummy," he offered. "They're really pretty."

She knelt carefully in her dress and kissed the top of her son's hand. "Thank you, son."

"I like the one of me best," Penelope preened, looking at a picture Rose had painted of her as a baby. It was only a picture of her little hand clothing her dad's larger one, but she was well aware that that was her hand, thank you very much.

"So," Rose said, moving back to her feet and looking at her oldest daughter, "did you tell him?"

Imogen spared a glance at her dad and shook her head. "Not yet."

Ian frowned and looked at her. "Tell me what?"

Her mum crossed her arms. "Why not?"

"It's your night, not mine," Imogen answered.

"Oh, my sweet girl, that is precisely why I want to share it with you. Go on then, tell 'im," Rose urged.

Imogen smiled bashfully. "I got a phone call this morning," she told her dad.

"And?" he prompted, anxious to hear whatever news she was about to share.

"It was an offer, an invitation really," she clarified, "to be an artist with the British Ballet Company next season."

"And she'll be their youngest member in like, fifty years!" Rose injected.

Ian's eyes grew wide. "What!? Imogen! That's... That's... Come here, you!" He scooped her up and swung her around like he did to her mother just a few minutes before.

Noah grinned widely at his sister. "Whoa! Good job, Im!" he congratulated, knowing how important dance was to her. Penelope also offered her cheers, though she wasn't exactly aware of why. She just knew that her family was excited about something.

"It's just _corps de ballet_," Imogen muttered, tucking an invisible strand of hair behind her ear bashfully.

Her dad smiled proudly. "But it's a start," he told her, smiling at her mum over her shoulder.

Rose stepped forward, taking in her art exhibit as she did. "And you have to start somewhere, my love. Trust me, I know."

After a private tour of the exhibit, the gallery was officially open to the public. Since it was Rose's opening night, things were a bit more upscale than usual, including a table full of nibbles that Ian and Noah stopped at often. The support Rose was receiving from their family and friends was enough to bring tears to her eyes. The first ones through the door was Jackie and her husband, Alan Torchwood. Jackie had met Alan through Ian (the two worked together at the university) at a Christmas party her daughter and son-in-law held shortly after they were married. Though she was instantly attracted to him, it took Alan a few years to wear her down and get her to agree to marry him. It took Rose a bit to accept that her mum was with a man not her father, but in the end he proved himself to be a wonderful husband to her mum and a doting grandfather to her children. Next through the door was Jack Harkness. Imogen smiled at him, taking note that her beloved uncle was still wearing his wedding ring, though her Uncle Ianto had passed away five years previously due to lung cancer. It had been a difficult time for the American man and he ended up spending a few months with the Noble family in London, before going back to Cardiff for a bit. Now Jack spent most of his time travelling for work, though he always made sure to check in every few weeks to let them know he was safe and well.

Ianto wasn't the only one who was unfortunately not there, Imogen thought sadly as her Great Aunt Sylvia entered on the arm of Wilfred Mott, her honorary great granddad. Sylvia's husband, Imogen's Great Uncle Geoffrey, had passed away three years before due to a stroke, shortly after little Penelope Noble was born. He was missed by everyone in the family, but most especially by his daughter, Donna, who had just entered the gallery with her husband Lee, and twins Josh and Ella. Imogen was pleased to see her cousins there. Though a couple years younger than her, they all got along and had grown up next door to each other for most of their lives. In a way, they were more like siblings than just cousins, similar to how Ian felt about Donna.

As the night went on, more family and friends stopped by to see Rose's work, including Imogen's longtime best friend (and maybe something more), Alfie, joined by his parents, Craig and Sophie. As the parents all spoke, Imogen grabbed her friend's hand, ignoring her Uncle Jack's suggestive wink at the gesture, and led Alfie away, giving him a tour of the exhibit. Sometimes she felt like she knew her mum's paintings better than she knew herself and it was with an extreme sense of pride that she described them to the boy next to her, describing every detail she could remember about what was going on when Rose worked on each one.

"These are fantastic," he told her enthusiastically. "I mean, I knew your mum could paint, I'd seen the ones at your house, but wow. You and your family must be so proud of her."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "We are. Dad especially. He loves her so much. I'm so glad they have each other."

Alfie looked at her with admiration. "They're lucky to have you, you know."

Imogen blushed and and nudged his shoulder with hers. "Shut up," she muttered.

"Tell me about this one," he requested, nodding to the somewhat out of place drawing.

"This one," she started, gazing lovingly at the child's drawing of the night sky, "this is the one that started it all. The first picture my mum ever made my dad."

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